(æ)mæth
by Kim Chang-Ra
Summary: Hokuto has been sealed into a card. Yaiba is still recovering from his loss to Isao. And Masumi, left with Akaba Himika's unsettling revelations of interdimensional invaders, is starting to have nightmares. (Rated T for language and thematic violence.)
1. I

_Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;_

 _and in thy book all my members were written,_

 _which in continuance were fashioned,_

 _when as yet there was none of them._

– The Book of Psalms, Chapter 139, Verse 16, KJV

* * *

I

The rough asphalt pierced through her shirt and into the skin of her back. The buzzing hum of neon signs was all that she could hear. She could not move her body.

A trickle of blood tickled the back of her skull. She must have fallen, and hit the unrelenting surface of the alleyway around her. Strange symbols leered either side of her, plastered on the walls like eerie faces, looking down at her, gloating at how she had fallen.

Cards littered the whole space, and Koutsu Masumi saw them, out of the corner of her eye. Instantly she knew what had happened, though not—

" … Why?"

The single word came almost against her will, croaked from a dry mouth, all but unheard over the continuous, piercing beep of a Life Point counter—her own—long since dwindled to zero.

"Why … are you … doing this?"

Masumi could see very little from where she lay in the alley, spread-eagled, unable to move a muscle. Two shadows, at the other end of the lane, gazed at the defeated forms of the Duelists around them—one tall, thin, and humanoid; another vast, winged, and currently dissolving into nothingness, leaving only the first shadow behind.

The shadow spoke, and the hiss of a voice that wormed its way past Masumi's ears and into her mind was enigma in its purest form—somewhere between male and female, between human and alien. But there was no mistaking the malice in its tone. Just hearing each individual syllable felt like razor-thin shards of ice were slicing her apart.

"So you know what's coming," it responded, walking towards her form with hardly a sound, "and that there is nothing you can do to stop it." Its feet never seemed to touch the pavement as it loomed over Masumi.

The neon signs around her flickered. For a moment Masumi's gaze left the shadow, and saw the wall off to her left—heavily vandalized, chipped and covered in spray-painted tags that meant who-only-knew-what. In the midst of all that incomprehensible mess, a single word seemed to leap out from the _chaos_ all around it, as if its mere presence was designed to establish some semblance of _order_ to its surroundings:

 **ÆMÆTH**

"Do you really think you're safe, with the Lancers out there?" breathed the shadow. "You have been blinded by _lies_. _Wake up_ from your pathetic dream, and see the world around you for what it _really_ is! Wake up!"

Masumi had no time to scream. The shadow closed in around her as it raised an arm, and Masumi was only aware of the device on its wrist for a small fraction of a moment before a flash of purple light consumed the world around her—

* * *

"Wake up!"

Masumi buried her face into the pillow of her bed, trying to will the sudden pounding in her head to stop. Her skull felt about two sizes two small for her brain. A spot of drool had formed where she'd been resting her head.

"Masumi? Masumi, wake up!"

She cracked open an eye. That was a mistake; she moaned like a trodden-down cat as the sunlight shining through her window nearly blinded her. Any chance of reclaiming her much-needed sleep was ruined after—

Masumi sat bolt upright in bed with a yelp most unlike her as everything registered in her head at once. The sun should _not_ be shining from her window so early in the day, never mind so brightly; further, the pounding she was hearing wasn't just in her head, but the insistent fist on the door to her bedroom, which could only mean—

" _I'm late for class!_ "

Masumi leapt out of bed with such speed that she rushed down her bedroom door in almost the same movement, sending her father sprawling as he attempted to knock once more. By the time he'd gotten back up to his feet, his daughter was already in the bathroom— _breakfast can wait until later_ , she thought—and then she'd rushed past him again to change into her clothes.

"Masumi—"

Whatever her father had to say, however, Masumi wasn't listening. She absolutely _had_ to get dressed and cleaned up— _or could that wait, too_ , her mind idly wondered as she wriggled into her shirt; _maybe I can use the showers in the locker room … yes … maybe even change after that …_

"—oh, I can't _believe_ I slept in!" she shouted as she retrieved the belt where her Duel Disk was holstered, and dashed out of the house as she attempted to secure it to her waist at breakneck speed.

"But, Masumi—"

But she'd already rounded the next block by the time her father called after her.

* * *

Fifteen minutes and three stitches in her chest later, Masumi's luck had turned from bad to worse—and in the worst possible place for it.

"Oh— _come on!_ " she howled at the stubbornly locked front doors to the Leo Duel School, panting between breaths and futile pounds on the unyielding glass. "Why—won't—you—open?!"

Her Duel Disk suddenly chimed—someone was calling her. Though Masumi knew who it must be, her mind was elsewhere at the time. _Please,_ please _let this be another bad dream_ , she thought—

"No time to talk right now, Father, I'm late for class!" she yelled into the receiver without stopping to breathe—or ceasing her assault on the once-spotless panes, now smudged all over with the evidence of her desperation. "I'll call you back at lunchtime!"

"There _isn't_ any class today, Masumi!"

Masumi's clenched fist froze an inch away from the window, less than a second before impact. In fifteen years of living, her father had never once shouted at her before.

"I was trying to tell you," he was saying, panting almost as hard as she was. "Didn't you check your email last night?"

Masumi felt a sudden rush of embarrassment envelop her fatigue. She had _not_ checked her email, in fact; she'd gone straight to bed after helping out her father with an exceptionally difficult order for work.

" … Oh. Right," she mumbled, almost mechanically. "Cancelled." _Again_.

There was silence over the line for a long moment. When her father next spoke, it was with no small degree of hesitation. " … Should I come pick you up?"

"No … no, it's fine," said Masumi, feeling her legs throb and wobble as the fatigue redoubled in its intensity. "I'll … I can walk back."

She closed the line without waiting for a reply; then, feeling exceptionally foolish—but much too tired to care—Masumi turned away from LDS with a massive yawn, and started on her way home.

* * *

She did not take the direct route back. There was simply too much on her mind to handle right now; she needed some time with her thoughts before she could worry about going back to bed to sleep off her exhaustion.

Most people who knew Koutsu Masumi would agree that she was normally more attentive about things like whether or not class was in session or cancelled. Every day she lived had an order to it—an hour spent doing this; another two hours, fifteen minutes spent going there—precisely and professionally planned as if on a time sheet. Professionalism, though, had little to do with her attitude on life—well, perhaps more than a little, Masumi thought.

She'd been fascinated by jewels and precious stones ever since the age of two, when her father had shown her a cut ruby the size of her tiny fist. From the vividness of their color, to the sparkle of their facets—and finally, the evenness and flawlessness of a polished, _truly perfect_ gemstone—they had rapidly formed the backbone of her life and memories. It ran in the family, too—her father was a jeweler who often requested Masumi's sharper, much younger eyes for a second opinion. Masumi was looking forward to working under him when she wasn't studying Dueling at LDS, and perhaps even beyond.

At four, she could identify and distinguish between most varieties of sapphires. At seven, she could tell a natural diamond apart from a simulated one. After being accepted to LDS at ten, Masumi had then received her _Gem-Knight_ deck as a birthday present from her mother, who made a living guarding museums around the world whenever they hosted rare jewels—and who'd used that same deck to do it. The gift had been a bittersweet one, as the job prevented her mother from coming home much during the year except for holidays and vacation time.

The next year saw the beginning of a meteoric rise to the top of LDS' Fusion circuit. Even then, more than two years before her thirteenth birthday, Masumi had already planned out her path to adulthood almost to the day, under the belief that she should strive to be as flawless as the gems her father regularly inspected as part of his job. Now fast approaching fifteen, she'd been the circuit representative for almost a year; in that time, she'd done her absolute best to cultivate a sense of time management between her schooling and her occasional work alongside her father and—she hoped—eventual employer.

Unfortunately, even the most meticulous of schedules could be undone by chance—a fact that Masumi knew well.

With everything that had happened during the ill-fated Maiami Championship, it was hard to believe that only a week had passed since its cancellation. Masumi had seen just about every kind of Duel imaginable over those two days. Some matches had been memorable; others, not so much—and some, she was more than aware, would be remembered for all the wrong reasons. The worst of these events had been so unprecedented that Akaba Himika, the chairwoman of LDS, had personally brought the tournament to a close on the spot. All classes since had been cancelled, and all examinations postponed, in light of the tragedies that had befallen the unfortunate victims.

The event that had left Masumi most shaken of all, however, hadn't even taken place inside the stadium.

She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she wasn't immediately paying attention to where she was walking—or indeed, for how long she had been walking. Had it been mere minutes, or even hours?

But the question died in her mind as swiftly as it had been posed. For the first time since starting back from LDS, she was aware of her surroundings, and where she was standing right now. Her eyes drifted, almost without her doing so, towards the alleyway on her right.

The lane was narrow enough to admit a car, maybe two side by side—not that any drivers would dare attempt to navigate such a decrepit place. Rubbish bins lined the rough bricks, dotting the curb here and there with about ten feet to spare between them. Nearly every square foot of space was covered in graffiti. It made Masumi shiver just looking at it.

Had this been where it happened?

"This place … " she murmured, "was this where … Hokuto … "

She could almost see the Xyz Duelist inside the multicolored spray paint, his purple hair standing out amidst the chaos as he prepared to Duel his unknown assailant—

And then a chill raced down her spine as the vivid shade of purple spread out around the space before her eyes, enveloping the painted walls, the cracked pavement—even the neon lights buzzing along the lane to make a horribly familiar scene—all that was missing was that strange assortment of letters … or was it a _word_ —

" … no … was it _me?_ " The Fusion Duelist's voice had been reduced to a bare whisper. "My dream … "

A distorted shadow, horribly familiar, was spreading its black wings from end to end, filling the alley completely; she could not tear her eyes away from the sight—the graffiti was wriggling into pointed, angular shapes—

"Masumi!"

The familiar voice snapped her out of her reverie with a jolt, and Masumi gasped as she heard footsteps rapidly approaching her. She turned to see the first familiar face of the day run up to her, looking out of breath and more concerned than Masumi had ever seen him.

"Oh … Yaiba," she sighed, putting a hand over her breast to calm her suddenly racing heart. "I thought you were practicing."

She'd come to that conclusion upon seeing the normally spiky brown hair of her counterpart slicked liberally with sweat, and the Synchro representative of LDS was panting with every breath he took. Not all of this was the result of fatigue—Toudou Yaiba's recent one-sided loss to Kachidoki Isao, last year's Junior Youth runner-up and ace Duelist of the infamous Ryouzanpaku School, had left him with a number of bruises all over his body.

Yaiba was a tough sort in spite of his small size, thankfully—a brief stay in the infirmary had helped with the worst of the damage—but the pain of the wounds he'd suffered in that Duel still lingered. He'd been medically ordered to avoid extensive physical activity for a while longer—an order which, to his dismay, had included participating in Action Duels. In the words of the medics, he'd been "lucky to avoid anything worse" that day.

"I was until about an hour ago," he said. "Your dad called, asked me to look for you. He sounded pretty worried. Lucky me I found you so quickly."

Masumi's hand automatically whipped to her Duel Disk. A push of a button revealed no less than two missed calls and twice as many texts in the past two hours. "Oh … " was all she could say, feeling more foolish by the moment.

Yaiba stared at her for a full five seconds before he spoke up. "All right—what's wrong?" he asked, not a little bit pointedly. Masumi knew he'd mellowed out recently, but even though his concern was genuine, there was still no disguising the small bit of annoyance Yaiba obviously felt at seeing his best friend act this way.

"First you dash off to school and somehow manage to forget that it's been cancelled for the _whole entire week_ ," he continued, "then you blow off your dad just so you can wander around town? This isn't the Koutsu Masumi I know," he said, leaning on his ubiquitous bamboo _shinai_ as a crutch while he continued to catch his breath. "Come on—what's bothering you?"

 _I had a nightmare last night where I nearly got sealed into a card in a dark alley I think I just found that alley and now I'm wondering if our friend was here when the same thing happened to him if he even had a fighting chance_

" … It's nothing," Masumi said after a long, deep breath in and out. "I've … had a lot on my mind. Didn't sleep all that well last night." As if on cue, her next deep breath turned into a monstrous yawn that left her feeling dazed and disorientated for a few seconds.

Yaiba looked round, perhaps to make sure no one was listening, and leaned in to speak one word. "Hokuto?"

Masumi felt like she'd been hit in the gut by Yaiba's _shinai_. For a boy who liked swords and sabers as much as he did, Yaiba could certainly be blunt sometimes.

With the Synchro Duelist's simple question, a flood of memories had opened in her mind, of watching with bated breath in LDS Centre Court, the stadium beneath the enormous edifice of the school, of sitting in the light of the setting sun as the lucky finalists returned from a full day of Dueling, never suspecting that their world would soon be turned upside down …

* * *

 _"ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!"_

… or that Sawatari Shingo, of all people, would have been the one to start it off.

She and Yaiba had sat there, completely nonplussed, as a boy that should _not_ have been among the Duelists in the championship's twenty-four hour Battle Royale ripped the MC's microphone out of his grip and proceed to talk about how none other than Akaba Reiji had given him a pass into the competition despite his loss in the first round. From there, so he had claimed, he'd won, advanced, and fought his way here as a so-called "Lancer."

Masumi and Yaiba had looked each other's confusion at the strange word—but this hadn't lasted long; soon after, Akaba Himika had delivered the announcement that stunned the world:

 _"As of noon today, the Maiami Championship will be discontinued … "_

The next few minutes had been a blur for Masumi. She had barely listened to Himika's tales of invaders from another dimension, who used the game of _Duel Monsters_ as a weapon with their own Real Solid Vision. Masumi hadn't even paid any attention to her explanation of the loss of video coverage, and how it had all been an attempt to avoid worldwide panic. She was too busy concentrating on how there seemed to be fewer Duelists standing before the crowds than had started yesterday—some of whom, like Sawatari, ought not to have been there in the first place. Even Hiiragi Yuzu, who had beaten Masumi in the first round—who Masumi knew for a fact had advanced to the Battle Royale—was nowhere to be seen.

But there'd been no time to dwell on this. Soon after that, Himika had shown the damning footage of the Duels that had happened over the last twenty-four hours—of men in masks and uniforms, with Duel Disks she didn't recognize, that vivid purple light—

Then … panic.

 _"Don't tell me that's why Hokuto's been missing!"_

 _"Turned into a card … just like that?"_

People all throughout the stadium, young and old, were shouting, screaming, holding each other, numb with shock—all of it lost on Masumi and Yaiba, who had up until this point been at a loss as to the whereabouts of their friend. Hokuto had failed to show up for his match the previous day, and so had been disqualified. That alone had concerned them both—Shijima Hokuto would never do such a thing, they'd reasoned; something must be wrong.

And just like that, their suspicions had been confirmed in the worst way possible …

* * *

" … Hokuto," Masumi nodded, feeling her legs giving way—whether from fatigue or grief, she did not know—and she sat down on the curb, hands on ankles, curled up into a ball.

"I was an idiot," she mumbled into her knees, mentally kicking herself.

Yaiba was close enough to hear. Masumi felt a tough, calloused hand on her shoulder as he bent down alongside her. "There wasn't anything you could have done for him," Yaiba told her, in one of the softest voices she'd ever heard him use. "We didn't know. The thought didn't occur to us. Don't beat yourself up any more about it."

But Masumi shook him off. "I'm not talking about that!" she said hotly, rising to her feet so quickly that Yaiba took a step backward. "I'm talking about _today_. I went out alone; I didn't tell anyone where I was going!"

The Synchro Duelist stared wild-eyed back at her as she continued to speak, hearing her voice grow shriller by the second. "Who's to say you'd be the first to find me, Yaiba?!" she cried. "What if someone else had found me first—like one of those awful invaders?! Then I'd be—I'd be … I'd … " But she could not finish her sentence; a lump had risen in her throat, and she was fighting tears.

Yaiba was on her in a heartbeat. "Masumi, calm down!" he shouted, grasping her hard by both shoulders and leaning in so close to her that his face was all she could see. "The fact is, I _did_ find you first! The fact is, no one around us is going to turn you into a card!"

He leaned back. "And the fact is, as long as you're with someone you know and trust, _no one ever will_. Okay?"

It was a long time before Masumi could bring herself to speak; she was staring at Yaiba as if seeing him for the first time. He certainly wasn't heartless, but he'd never acted this way to anyone for as long as Masumi had known him! Was this really the same Duelist she'd once called a fool after he'd been shouted down by Akaba Reiji himself?

 _He really does care about us … about Hokuto_ , she thought, as her initial shock finally gave way. Finally, slowly, she shook her head yes, wiping away the wetness that had begun to gather under her eyes.

"Good," Yaiba nodded, but the concerned look had not faded from his face. "Call your dad _right now_ , let him know where you are." Then, perhaps upon further consideration: "I can walk you home if you want."

That was _also_ a first, and it was enough to almost make Masumi laugh in spite of herself. "Yaiba, the gentleman?" she said with a wry smirk, blinking away any stray moisture. "Are you sure you're not from another dimension?"

" _That's not funny_." And indeed, Yaiba wasn't smiling at her attempted joke. "I'm doing this because I just saw one of my best friends come within two steps of falling to pieces. As soon as you're feeling better about yourself, I'll be the same old Toudou Yaiba you know and love."

 _After what I just saw?_ wondered Masumi. Something was definitely different about this boy, and she knew that wasn't simply her being paranoid. It must have been then, she thought—ever since he'd drawn against that kid from You Show's highly unorthodox Deck and strategy; then later on, when that same boy had come to Yaiba on bended knee—

"Before or after you started training Gongenzaka?" she asked him.

Yaiba balked at the unexpected response. "Um … yes?"

Masumi smiled. _So he really has changed_ , she thought. _I wonder how much he knows that—or if he knows it at all_.

She started walking—then, just as suddenly, stopped to look back at Yaiba. "Didn't you say you were going to walk me home?" she asked, feeling a little smile creep onto her face.

Yaiba spluttered behind her. "W-wait!" he called out, running in her wake as Masumi resumed her trek towards home.

* * *

 **A/N: Can you tell I really like** ** _ARC-V_** **? I'm just hoping it doesn't** ** _completely_** **divert me from** ** _Elder Scrolls_** **. I've been in something of a rut since I moved into my new apartment, and I'm hoping that this story can be the impetus I've needed to get back into writing—especially where** ** _Rain's Hand_** **is concerned. Updates may, therefore, be irregular until I've sorted everything all out and gotten back into that particular groove.**

 **This probably goes without saying, but for purposes of faithfulness to the source material, any canon cards, archetypes, and characters depicted here will be referred to in their Japanese translation—or barring that, as best I can get from the wiki. Several chapters will also contain fic-exclusive cards, not all of which are Action Cards; I'll wait on describing** ** _those_** **until the end of the story so as to avoid many overly long author's notes (like this one).**

 ** _Yu-Gi-Oh!_** **and** ** _Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V_** **are © 1996 and © 2014 by Kazuki Takahashi and the Konami Corporation; all original characters and content herein are mine.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! - K**


	2. II

II

An hour later, they'd reached Masumi's home, and not a moment too soon: having foregone breakfast in her haste to leave for LDS, the Fusion Duelist had been running on fumes by the time she and Yaiba had arrived on her block.

Yaiba had muttered something about returning to practice as they approached her doorstep, and he exchanged brief good-byes with Masumi before walking off in the opposite direction they had come. There would be time later to talk about what had happened, she decided as she headed up the sidewalk. Surely Yaiba, if today had been any indication, would be sympathetic to her plight when she told him … at least, if he needed to know.

She'd barely opened the front door when her father burst out over the threshold, squeezing the air out of his only child in a crushing hug. "Oh, thank goodness, I was so worried," he kept saying over and over.

Masumi found it difficult to talk, owing to the fact her father's embrace—while certainly not unwanted—was very close to cracking some of her ribs. "Father—I was only—gone for—three hours," she was able to choke out before reason caught up with him; he released her a few moments later. "And half that time, Yaiba was with me."

"Was he?" Masumi's father idly rubbed a hand through his black hair—a tic he'd been known to express in his more emotional states. "Well, good on him; I must remember to tell his parents … but Masumi, darling, you simply can't wander off like that—not after what happened at the Championship last week. If something like that happened to you, I have no idea what I'd do."

He took a deep breath—evidently he'd been meaning to get that out of his system all morning. "Are you all right?" he said, his voice much softer, more controlled now that he knew his daughter was in his sight.

Masumi nodded. "I'm fine—I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner," she apologized. "I just had a lot on my mind, that was all. I didn't sleep very well last night, either—I kept thinking about everything that happened during the Maiami Championship. I needed some time to clear my head, so I thought since I was already out of the house, I should take a walk to help myself out with that."

Her father was slowly nodding in understanding as she continued to explain herself, and Masumi thanked the fates he was tactful enough to not press the issue any further. Many unexpected things had happened during that tournament—that invasion, while certainly the most dreadful of them, had also been merely the _last_ of them.

Suddenly, Masumi's train of thought was interrupted by a loud rumbling noise. It took her muddled mind a few seconds to understand that that noise had been her stomach growling.

Her father's face split in a wide grin at this unexpected intrusion. "By the sound of it, it sounds like you took a walk on an empty stomach," he chuckled, and Masumi couldn't help but join in as they went inside.

"Tell you what," he said as he strode into the kitchen. "I'll fix us some sandwiches for lunch, and then you can come into work with me; I was just about to head to the shop for the day when you arrived. There's a shipment of æmæth coming in this afternoon that I could use some help polishing up, if you're interested."

Masumi, who had been busying herself with grabbing some bread from the pantry, froze in her tracks as the words traveled from her ears to her brain. "A shipment of ... _what_ now?" she asked, hoping she'd misheard her father.

"A shipment of amethysts," he replied from the refrigerator, digging out various odds and ends. "Supposed to be some very nice ones in there, too, from what I've been told—Deep Russian, very valuable. Why do you ask?"

The Fusion Duelist let out a sigh of relief. _So I was wrong after all_. "Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I thought I heard … "

 _I thought I heard a word I have no idea how to say that I dreamed about last night I have no idea what it means or even why I dreamed about it to begin with_

" … never mind," she said, forcing herself to smile. "Sure. I'll come along. Having something to do for a change might help take my mind off things," she added as she slapped some lettuce and sliced tomatoes on her roast beef.

 _At least, that's what I hope it does_ , she added in her head as she began to eat lunch and make small talk with her father. The spray-painted word from her nightmare—if it even _was_ a word, as opposed to some random, jumbled assortment of letters—continued to occupy her mind as if it had been burned into her brain.

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful, which was bad news for Masumi. Eight hours of staring at precious stones had never felt so mind-numbingly _boring_ —nor had it helped to take her mind off things at all. While the shipment of amethysts in question had indeed turned out to be rare Deep Russian, which excited her father to no end, Masumi found that she did not seem to care all that much. She'd never been more thrilled to see her father punch his time card for the last time tonight.

Her father, it seemed, had noticed. "You were awfully quiet today," he commented as they got into his car.

Masumi was too far submerged in her own thoughts to immediately respond. When she finally did acknowledge him, it was only with a halfhearted, " … Sorry. Today was rougher on me than I thought, I guess."

By the look on her father's face, she guessed he'd taken her _today_ to mean _last night_. "Maybe you should go to bed early tonight," he suggested. "I can understand you didn't have the best day today. Hopefully you'll have a better night of it than yesterday."

Masumi nodded, but she was only half listening.

Throughout the day—from the drive across Maiami City to her father's shop, to tonight's drive back home—the nightmare had slowly consumed more and more of her mind. More than once, she had caught herself doodling on scrap paper while her father worked, each time trying to sketch as much of the strange imagery of her dream as she could remember—before tossing it into the bin with a groan in an attempt to clear her head. But despite her best efforts, Masumi could not help but wonder what had happened in that dream. Where had all those cards come from? What did that word mean? Who or what was the shadow that had defeated her?

And perhaps most pressing of all, _how on earth did it know about the Lancers?_

Most of what Masumi _did_ know about the Lance Defense Soldiers was shrouded in mystery. While the support for the organization had been near-universal, if the crowds at Centre Court had been any indication, neither Akaba had been terribly forthcoming about the details of the group from there. Even some of the members had little to nothing known about them, aside from the fact their Dueling skills were good enough to get them as far as the Battle Royale.

Masumi knew only bits and pieces of the ninja Duelist Tsukikage—only that every one of his Duels in this championship up to that point had been won in a single turn. She'd later learned that his brother Hikage had also participated in the Battle Royale, but was among the unfortunate Duelists that had not returned to Centre Court.

Dennis Macfield, from what little footage she'd seen, was an Xyz Duelist from LDS' branch school in Broadway whose flashy Dueling style was not unlike Sakaki Yuuya's. His mastery of Xyz, however, paled in comparison to Hokuto's, and Masumi had found nothing else noteworthy on him beyond that.

Much more noteworthy had been a girl she initially thought was Yuzu, until she'd gotten a closer look at the hair. Why she was wearing the You Show student's clothes, Masumi had no idea, and she hadn't had the chance to talk to the mysterious Duelist afterwards.

Finally, there was Kurosaki Shun. Masumi knew more about him than those other Duelists combined—and even that was hardly worth writing about. Shun Dueled more often than he socialized, and he'd never been especially chatty with the other students after his recent admission to LDS. Masumi's initial impression of the boy was that he _really_ did not want to be here—it was almost as though someone was _forcing_ him to attend this Duel School.

Then he'd gone up against that Fusion user from You Show. The Duel that followed had been so viciously brutal that in hindsight, Masumi was surprised her recent nightmare hadn't yet involved crumbling buildings, burning cities, and some of the most terrifying _Duel Monsters_ she'd ever laid eyes upon. Yet Shun had wasted no time in proving himself to be an impressive Duelist; even _Hokuto_ had been amazed at his mastery of Xyz, and that was something that didn't happen every day. She was thankful, at the very least, that Shun appeared to be on their side.

The only thing people seemed to know about these Duelists was that they'd been selected to fight these invaders—and that the Maiami Championship had apparently played some role in that regard. From there, rumors and conjecture abounded. How, indeed, were these Lancers going to fight an interdimensional enemy—for that matter, were a bunch of kids capable of fighting them off at all? It was a question Masumi was desperate to have answered.

Especially since it felt as though the shadow in her nightmare knew much more about the Lancers than she did.

* * *

Masumi's Duel Disk showed a quarter after nine by the time her father pulled into the driveway, and she stepped out of the car with a massive yawn that she did not bother concealing.

"Bedtime for you, definitely," her father immediately said to her. "Get yourself cleaned up, and get yourself a good night's sleep. I hope you'll be in much better shape to help me out tomorrow." A pause, then: "I won't force you to come with me if you don't want to next time."

"We'll … s-s-see," stammered Masumi through another yawn as she went inside, down the hallway, and into her room. She didn't bother changing out of her clothes, or taking a shower before bedtime—only stopping long enough to shut off the light and flop on her bed with a soft _whoomph_. She was out like a light before she knew it …

* * *

 _"Don't tell me that's why Hokuto's been missing!"_

 _Cards fluttered down from the sky, yellow and blank-faced … shouting, screaming, crying … like something inside them wanted to get out—_

 _"Turned into a card … just like that?"_

 _Violet light filled her world—and a thin scream she recognized as her own was the only sign she had ever existed—_

 _"ALL OF YOU, SHUT UP!"_

 _Someone was laughing—a cold, pitiless,_ gloating _cackle—the laugh echoed and reverberated all around until dozens, hundreds, thousands of faceless forms reveled in the chaos they were causing—_

 _"The world has gone through a complete change," Akaba Reiji's voice boomed in the vast space, coming from every direction … "The peace we knew yesterday is now a thing of the past … we are now entering an era of battle … "_

* * *

The air around her was freezing. Every breath felt like her insides were being stabbed. No sounds reached her ears but her own—it was completely, totally silent, as cold and quiet as the void of space.

Koutsu Masumi opened her eyes, and knew instantly where she was.

Had this been her first time here, she would have believed she was back in Maiami City—for the enormous building in the distance could be nothing else but LDS. But it looked as though it had been abandoned for decades; entire windows were either shattered or missing, the great crystal at its peak was cracked, and the steel girders that supported the skyscraper were rusting from lack of maintenance. Only the LEO acronym on the building showed any sign of maintenance; it shone like the beam of a lighthouse, illuminating the eerie scene before her eyes.

It was the sky, however, that made Masumi certain this was not her home.

 _… What happened here?_

Smoky wisps of cloud were the only sign there even _was_ a sky. There were no stars she could see, nor sun or moon; the violet light that burned into Masumi's vision (or perhaps the shadows they cast?) drowned them all out. The sources of these lights hung far above her head, perhaps even miles, and at first she'd taken them to be the contrails from jet engines—but these glowing threads of cloud were not clouds at all. Masumi had no idea what they were, or what force was capable of even creating anything like it—but there they were, stitching the indigo skies a dozen at a time, stretching in all directions as far as her eyes could see.

So entranced was she by the alien sight that it was a long while before Masumi realized she was walking along the street, her legs carrying her against her will to a place she knew not. Explosions of purple light littered the asphalt, and even though Masumi could not see their sources, the cards in the center of all those lights gave her a good idea. Among these flares of consuming light, men, women, and children ran about, frozen in time—their faces forever twisted into expressions of terror that sent an involuntary shiver down Masumi's spine.

She walked on.

Flashes of violet and black wheeled about the sky, like the shadows of featherless birds, their mournful cries echoing, melting into the faded screams of the unfortunate sealed souls Masumi passed by. Save for these, everything was completely still; Masumi could hear her ragged breath echo in the silence as her legs continued to carry her onward through the dreamscape.

She knew not how far or how long she walked—for all Masumi was aware, the city around her stretched out to infinity, and time had no meaning in this place. Her footsteps and her heartbeat echoed in tandem, the slow cadence of a funeral march. But that cadence was beating quicker, stronger—and the number of cards in the road were becoming more frequent; by now Masumi was passing at least one every few feet.

 _Close now_ , whispered some detached part of Masumi's mind, _so very close_. But had that truly been her voice—or even her thoughts? Hearing them had frozen Masumi in her tracks, and every hair on her neck was standing on end.

Then, she turned round—slowly, to her left—and _saw_.

The alley was wider than she remembered—almost enough to where she thought it must be a two-way street—and stretched on for far longer than any alley ought to, in more darkness than any alley should. But there could be no mistake of it. _This_ was where _it_ had happened, of that Masumi was sure.

She shivered again—it felt like cockroaches were creeping on her skin, but a tense look downward revealed nothing at all. Yet she still felt a presence there, something tugging at her body—or perhaps her mind, even her _soul?_ —willing it to come closer, to be swallowed up by the hungry darkness inside the lane.

Masumi moved to put her foot forward—and then, just as quickly, lowered it. _I'm scared_ , thought a voice she knew this time was hers. _I don't want to go in I don't know what I'm going to find I don't know what it will do to me_

Her thoughts echoed in the smothering silence before her—and then the silence spoke back.

 _You will know the truth …_

The whisper felt like the deep note of a gong in her ears. There was a _power_ behind this voice, this _Shadow_. Masumi could not resist it—she had to give in, she had to _know_.

Slowly, uneasily, she stepped towards the void—once, twice, three times. The void moved away from her, keeping its distance with each step she took. But as three steps became thirty, and thirty turned into three hundred, it never shrank back from her—deep inside, she knew it was merely showing the way, guiding her towards its core.

 _That's right_ , it breathed in her mind. _You deserve to know …_

The dark road stretched on, its only markers the vandalized bins on the curbs to either side of her. Cards littered the alleyway so densely in places that the asphalt beneath was invisible. Neon signs Masumi could not read flickered above doors that had no knobs or keyholes, casting shadows beneath windows that had no glass.

The farther she crept into the alley, the more decrepit the scene became; years and decades of unreadable graffiti lined the decaying walls. Multicolored tendrils of paint reached out from the Shadow _en masse_ , waiting to finally embrace her—

And then, just as the drifting shadows revealed another alleyway off to her right, she saw it:

 **ÆMÆTH**

The walls around the single word were not so much covered in graffiti as they were _caked_ in it. Layers of spray paint, as thick around as her finger, spread out from that single point as if they'd simply exploded into being. The only bare patch was a single square foot of space, directly opposite the path that branched out behind Masumi, and it was here that the word that vexed her so had been meticulously printed into the wall.

She continued to stare at it, focusing all her attention on the printed letters, branding each one into her mind.

 _What are you?_ Masumi thought as she stared down the word, imagining it was staring back at her. _What do you mean? Why are you here?_

"The Word cannot speak. It can only be spoken."

Masumi whirled around at the familiar, icy voice.

In her haste to understand the word that had held her undivided attention, she had completely forgotten about the Shadow that had guided her to it. While her eyes had been glued to the neatly reproduced letters, the darkness had changed. No longer did it envelop the alleyway all around her; now it had shrunk around a single point, swirling and mutating into a humanlike shape roughly half as tall again as she was—though it was human only by virtue of possessing two arms, two legs, and a faceless head. Masumi saw no mouth, no eyes, not even hair—only a genderless collection of dark fire, along with a cold malevolence that seemed to suck in all light around it.

"Distort the Word, take away its meaning," the walking fire hissed at her, "and you will _cease to exist_."

Something shifted within the Shadow's left "wrist"; the flames within twisted and writhed for a moment before disgorging a rectangular device that Masumi quickly recognized as a Duel Disk. The violet contraption hissed mechanically as a navy blue blade shimmered along the Shadow's arm.

Masumi mirrored him almost unconsciously. Her own navy Duel Disk was out of its holster and clamped onto her wrist before she'd even known what happened. The appearance of the fiery orange blade along her forearm felt blissfully warm against the sleeve of her sweater—especially in this freezing dreamscape.

"Who are you?" demanded Masumi. "How do you know about the Lancers? _Tell me!_ "

"Does that really matter?" The Shadow's cryptic whisper echoed in her mind for far longer than it had any right to. "Of course, you can always find out for yourself … but how far are you willing to go, to answer a simple question?"

Masumi slowly hefted her left arm to her chest, assuming a classic Dueling position. "I don't care how many Duels it takes to get you out of my dreams," she spat. "I _will_ defeat you, but not before you tell me everything you know!"

The Shadow mirrored her movements. "Then let us begin," it said icily. "DUEL!"

"DUEL!" screamed Masumi at precisely the same moment. Her free hand flew to her Deck, and swiped five cards as the screen on her Duel Disk flared a bright bluish-green, showing standard game telemetry: field presence, Deck and hand size, followed by Life Points (4000 for each player) and the turn count of the current Duel.

"I'll be going first," said the Shadow as he swiped a card on his screen. "I activate the Spell Card: _Foolish Burial_ , and send 1 monster from my Deck to my Graveyard! The monster I choose to send will be … _Shaddoll Lizard!_ "

 _Shaddoll?!_

Masumi repeated the unfamiliar word in her head—committing it to her memory, locking it up for later as she watched the Shadow retrieve a single card from his Deck and slide it into his Graveyard slot. _He's not going to use my Gem-Knight Deck?_ she wondered. _I'd have expected my own nightmare to use my own Deck against me_.

 _But if this Shadow really_ is _part of my dream … why is it using a Deck I've never even_ heard of _before?_

" _Shaddoll Lizard's_ effect activates," the Shadow went on. "When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can send another _Shaddoll_ monster from my Deck to the Graveyard! I choose to send _Shaddoll Falcon!_ "

Again it swiped a card from his Deck, and slid it into the Graveyard slot. But a moment later the Shadow declared, " _Shaddoll Falcon's_ effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can Special Summon it to my field in face-down Defense Position!"

As quickly as the Shadow had sent it there, the card was spat back from the Graveyard, and Masumi saw a giant version of a face-down card materialize on his field, protected by a barbed-wire skull with glowing eyes.

"I Set two more cards, and one more monster," spoke the Shadow as it swiped a trio of cards onto his field, "and with that, I end my turn."

To the left of the Set _Falcon_ , a skull identical to the one in front of him appeared above its own face-down monster. Masumi, however, was too perplexed to be paying immediate attention. Nothing about the Shadow's turn had made any sense to her at all. There was definitely a common theme—using card effects to send monsters to his Graveyard—but that was it! The Shadow had used three cards just to get one low-level monster on the field, and that monster had been Summoned—

"—face-down," she breathed in realization. _They must both have Flip Effects—only activating when they're flipped face-up!_ That's _what the Shadow's doing—it's trying to bait me out like a fish!_

Masumi had to work hard to conceal a laugh. Flip monsters rarely saw play these days for several reasons. For one thing, their stats were not particularly strong—but on the other hand, most powerful cards in _Duel Monsters_ weren't judged by their Level or physical strength, but in the effects they possessed. Still, even though some Flip monsters did indeed possess devastating effects to make up for their lackluster stats, they were also very slow to activate. For the rules stated that no monster could be revealed in the same turn it was Set face-down, Flip Effect or otherwise.

So the most obvious solution, Masumi decided as she inspected the cards in her hand, was to take the bait with a weaker monster, and then engage the Shadow with something stronger once that Flip Effect had resolved. There was no sense in wasting her bigger _Gem-Knights_ on weak Flip monsters— _best to play it safe for now_ , she thought, especially with those other two face-down cards to worry about. Something about them didn't sit right with her.

A sudden thought about the strange field presence of this Shadow sprang into her mind. _Could it be—?_

"My turn!" she shouted, drawing a card. A quick flick of the wrist revealed it—and again Masumi had to suppress her glee as she saw her favorite card clutched at her fingertips. Instantly, a new strategy began to form in her head.

"I activate the Spell Card: _Gem-Knight Fusion!_ " she cried, swiping it on her screen. "With this card, I can fuse _Gem-Knight_ monsters in my hand or on my field to perform a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse _Gem-Knight Emeral_ and _Gem-Knight Saphire_ from my hand!"

A sudden burst of illumination erupted behind her, bathing Masumi in blessed warmth that dispelled the freezing air of the dream. The swirling vortex of an impending Fusion Summon grew to fill the alley completely as images of two humanoid figures, respectively covered head to toe in spring green and silver-blue armor, rose high into the air.

 **"Brilliant emerald of good fortune!"** Masumi chanted. **"Stone of selfless sacrifice! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"Fusion Summon! The one who pursues honor!** ** _Gem-Knight Aquamarine_** ** _!_ "**

The ground shook beneath armored footfalls as a giant warrior burst forth from the maelstrom to take its place before its summoner. Eight feet tall, covered in enough blue-gold battle armor to plate a tank, and brandishing a broad bladed shield in its right hand, the Fusion Monster growled menacingly at the Shadow as the gauge above it (Level 6: _ATK 1400_ /DEF 2600) faded from view.

 _Aquamarine_ 's stats and effect made it a perfect defensive monster, Masumi knew. It wasn't one that often saw play; she tended to be more aggressive than this in most Duels, preferring to strike hard and fast before her opponent could mount a counterattack. Against an unknown quantity such as this Shadow, however, Masumi was quite sure it would prove far more useful in gauging the strength of his field presence.

"Battle Phase!" she declared. " _Gem-Knight Aquamarine_ , attack the face-down _Shaddoll Falcon!_ "

 _Aquamarine_ lunged with a guttural roar, shield raised aloft as it closed the distance between it and the card in a second. One second later, a shockwave blew throughout the alley, strong enough to nearly send Masumi tumbling head over heels. She caught a glimpse of a birdlike silhouette, wreathed in the same purple-black fire of the Shadow, with many bright violet threads stretching upward into the sky from its body—

—but the silhouette did not evaporate, not even as _Aquamarine_ returned to her side with a mighty leap. An instant later, Masumi realized why as _Shaddoll Falcon's_ own telemetry was revealed to her (Level 2: ATK 600/ _DEF 1400_ ).

 _Damn it_. Masumi swiped the air with a fist. She'd underestimated the strength of that Flip monster, thinking _Aquamarine's_ ATK would have been enough to destroy it. At least the equal point values ensured her monster hadn't been destroyed in the battle, and that she hadn't lost any of her Life Points from the skirmish either.

The fact remained, however, that she'd made a critical blunder—all that was left to do now was hope _Aquamarine's_ effect would be able to protect her until her next turn.

" _Shaddoll Falcon's_ Flip effect," said the Shadow. "I can target another _Shaddoll_ monster in my Graveyard, and Special Summon _it_ in face-down Defense Position." One swiped card later, another barbed-wire skull leered at Masumi, the purple sphere at its core pulsating with dim light.

 _Another face-down monster_ , Masumi thought as she gritted her teeth, _that_ Shaddoll Lizard _he sent with his_ Foolish Burial _. And I bet it's got a Flip effect of its own, too_.

" _Gem-Knight Aquamarine's_ effect activates," she responded. "If it attacked this turn, it is automatically switched to Defense Position at the end of my Battle Phase." The giant blue knight knelt down, bladed shield pointed to the ground as _Aquamarine_ assumed a protective stance.

"One card face-down," Masumi added, spotting _Doublet Fusion_ in her hand and swiping it on her screen. "Turn end!" _At least I've still got field presence_ , she thought with a look at _Aquamarine_. _That turn could have been worse, all things considered—I was fully expecting to lose my_ Aquamarine _to a Flip effect then, and I'm glad I didn't. Its 2600 DEF should help me survive until next turn._

She took a second look at her hand. _That Trap I Set Special Summons a_ Gem-Knight _Fusion Monster by banishing its Materials from my Graveyard. If I Summon this_ Gem-Knight Alexand _next turn, then use its effect to Tribute it, bring out_ Gem-Knight Crysta _from my Deck, I can then activate my_ Doublet Fusion _, banish_ Alexand _,_ Saphire _, and_ Emeral _to bring out my ace monster,_ Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia _, and use_ her _effect to bring out_ Gem-Knight Rubyz _for piercing damage!_

Masumi smirked. _I'd like to see this Shadow get rid of_ that!

She turned to stare defiantly back at the roiling mass of flaming darkness—only for her bravado to go right out the window when she heard the thin, amused laughter of the apparition standing across from her.

"You're a Fusion user." The malicious pleasure that oozed forth from the Shadow's voice made Masumi shiver. She imagined a wide, grinning mouth full of fangs speaking those words—the mouth of a spider staring down a juicy fly caught in its web. "And a very good one, too. I can see they weren't exaggerating about your strength."

Masumi thumbed her chest. "I'm the _best_ ," she said proudly. "I know _everything_ there is to know about Fusion Summoning! There isn't a single student in LDS who knows more about it than me. And LDS knows more about Fusion than any Duel School in the whole world!"

The Shadow laughed, a menacing, reverberating chuckle that made Masumi's blood run cold.

"If you only knew, child," hissed the entity as its flaming hand prepared to draw, " _if you only knew_. My turn!"

It drew the card with such force and speed that Masumi felt a faint shockwave pass through her. If the air around her was cold, the shockwave had been absolutely frigid; she felt as if a giant icicle had pierced her through the heart.

"Trap Card, activate: _Facing the Shadows!_ " rumbled the Shadow. "First, I send a _Shaddoll_ monster from my Deck to the Graveyard—and that monster will be _Shaddoll Beast!_ "

Masumi grit her teeth. _How many more of those infernal Flip monsters does he have?!_

" _Shaddoll Beast's_ effect activates!" the Shadow continued. "When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can draw a card!" Again the mass of darkness drew, and again a freezing shockwave rippled outwards. Masumi was ready for it this time, though; by hunching up her arms to her breast, it passed through her body with little ill effect.

" _Facing the Shadows'_ _next_ effect!" The Shadow's arm whipped outward, and pointed a finger at Masumi that sizzled with black flames. "I can change as many _Shaddoll_ monsters as I want from face-down Defense Position to face- _up_ Defense Position!"

 _It's what?!_ was all Masumi could think as she took in the number of face-down monsters on the field—monsters she knew all had to have their own Flip effects.

"I reveal my _Shaddoll Lizard_ and my _Shaddoll Hedgehog!_ " declared the Shadow. More flaming black shadows spilled out from the two Set monster cards as they were exposed. These, too, were each supported by yet more purple threads that stretched high into the sky. Almost as soon as they'd appeared, the shadows now began to morph, assuming the forms of a four-legged, vaguely reptilian form the size of a man (Level 4: ATK 1800/ _DEF 1000_ ) and something resembling a small, spiny ball with four stubby paws (Level 3: ATK 800/ _DEF 200_ ).

" _Shaddoll Lizard's_ Flip effect!" bellowed the darkness. "I can target 1 monster on the field, and destroy it!"

The pride and joy of LDS' Fusion circuit felt her jaw drop in horror. _Uh-oh._

"I target your _Gem-Knight Aquamarine!_ " The _Lizard_ spat a black lance of shadow from a mouth Masumi could not see. _Aquamarine's_ armor might as well have been _papier-mâché_ for all the good it did; no sooner had the shadow-tongue pierced its heart than the monster was vaporized before her eyes.

But all was not lost just yet—though losing her 2600 DEF-strong wall was a big blow indeed, Masumi knew, especially with all these monsters staring her down. " _Gem-Knight Aquamarine's_ final effect activates!" she cried. "If it's sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can target 1 card my opponent controls, and return it to the hand!"

She pointed a finger at the damnable creature that had destroyed her line of defense. "So I'll choose to return your _Shaddoll Lizard_!" A bright light flashed around the black-flamed reptile as it was encased back inside its card form, and it retreated back to its owner. _There goes most of his ATK strength_ , she thought smugly.

" _Shaddoll Hedgehog's_ Flip effect," said the Shadow, snatching up a card that had just jutted outward from its Deck. "I can add a _very special_ Shaddoll card from my Deck to my hand."

 _Special?_ Masumi wondered. "How do you mean, _special?_ " she demanded, but even as the words left her mouth, that uneasy feeling was itching in the back of her mind … a suspicion that something was very _wrong_.

 _Could he possibly be—_

But the entity did not answer her. "Continuous Trap: _Shaddoll Roots!_ " it bellowed, revealing the final Set card on its field. "By activating this card, I can Special Summon it to my field as an Effect Monster!"

Masumi screamed in spite of herself—a snarling mass of darkness had, quite suddenly, _erupted_ from the Trap Monster (Level 9: _ATK 1450_ /DEF 1950). Multiple snakelike heads whipped and roiled in every direction, each reptilian face shining with a pair of red eyes that seemed to burn holes through her very soul. Jet-black fangs, each one sharpened into ripping edges, were set in mouths that opened wider than a man's head, shrieking, baying, and snapping at thin air in an echoing cacophony that deafened the horrified Fusion Duelist within seconds.

" _What the_ hell _is that thing?!_ " If she hadn't felt her lips move with the words, Masumi might have taken them to be her own thoughts, so loud was the noise around her.

Louder still, however, was the sinister voice of the Shadow. Masumi felt her mind throb painfully with the sheer malice of its presence, and though it did not raise its voice, the next words of the Shadow drowned out the screaming of its _Roots_ with ease.

"Do you really think you're the best at what you do?" it sneered. "Do you really think you know more about Fusion than anyone else in the world?" The Shadow swiped a card from its hand, holding it aloft.

"You know _nothing_ of Fusion, little girl," it hissed. "I activate the Spell Card: **_Shaddoll Fusion._** "

Masumi sucked air through her teeth. _I knew it,_ she thought, taking several steps backward as the Shadow swiped the card. _I_ knew _there had to be another reason he had all those low-level monsters—he's a Fusion user, too!_

"With this card, I can fuse _Shaddoll_ monsters on my field or in my hand to perform a Fusion Summon!" the Shadow declared. "I choose to fuse the _Shaddoll Falcon_ on my field and the _Shaddoll Dragon_ in my hand!"

As Masumi looked on in trepidation, the strings that bound the shadowy bird _tensed,_ pulling it upwards with an echoing cry. At the same time, a winged, vaguely leonine shape leapt upwards from behind the Shadow, where a familiar vortex was beginning to form. But unlike the blue-and-orange maelstrom that served to herald most Fusion Summons, including Masumi's, the blue-and-orange was instead a swirling sea of bluish-green and black.

Now something was beginning to stir inside that churning ocean of color, and Masumi felt a sudden feeling of dread as the Shadow began to chant:

 **"Dark threads of the otherworld, bind the** ** _shadows_** **to your will!** ** _Fusion Summon!_ "**

The blackness within the vortex receded, sucked into the abyss beyond in an instant—and then, just as suddenly, _exploded_ outward in a dragon-like shape the size of a truck. Dark, tattered wings unfolded from its body, nearly spanning the entire alleyway from tip to tip. The Shadow had been consumed by the blast of darkness, but its chanting voice lingered still:

 **"Extinguish the light of hope in the hearts of men! Rise now,** ** _El Shaddoll Midrash!_ "**

A stunned Masumi gazed upwards at the silhouetted dragon as it alighted upon the cracked pavement with hardly a sound, leering down at her with a low, dangerous growl. Her eyes paid no attention to the telemetry (Level 5: _ATK 2200_ /DEF 800), and neither did she immediately see the wriggling pyre of black flames forming atop the Fusion Monster. All that occupied Masumi's thoughts was the creature before her.

 _It's the same monster … the same one that attacked me in that dream … but … that's impossible …_

Slowly, she backed away, unable to believe what she was seeing—yet unable to tear her eyes away from the sight. "How?" she mumbled, more to herself than to the Shadow. "How do I know this dragon? Where have I seen it before?" Dreams of every kind were influenced by events that happened in real life, she knew, no matter how big or small they might be. Masumi had no memories of seeing anything like this monster before, that much was certain—nor did she ever remember hearing the name _Shaddoll_ before, either.

 _What in the world is going on here?!_

" _Shaddoll Dragon's_ effect activates." The Shadow looked down upon Masumi with a palpable aura of smugness. "When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can target 1 Spell or Trap Card—for instance, that face-down card on your field—and _destroy it!_ "

Masumi froze. All thoughts of _Midrash_ were driven from her mind as she realized there was nothing she could do about this. _Damn it!_

"Begone!" bellowed the Shadow as a trail of fluid black smoke that Masumi assumed to be his _Shaddoll Dragon_ radiated outward from _Midrash's_ jaws, briefly enveloping her invaluable Trap Card in inky darkness before dissipating to reveal nothing but bare pavement.

Again Masumi cursed under her breath, wishing she'd had the foresight to Set a card to prevent _Doublet Fusion's_ destruction. Unfortunately for her, she normally relied on Action Cards and the effects of her Fusion Monsters to deal with such things as negation and removal. Most of her cards that didn't synergize well with her versatility in Fusion Summoning had been phased out. Now, however, it would appear she needed to _heavily_ adjust her strategy.

 _At least that Fusion Monster isn't very strong_ , she thought. _Even if it attacks, I might have some time to deal with it yet._ She frowned. _I may have to settle for Summoning_ Gem-Knight Zirconia _next turn—both_ Brilliant Dia _and_ Master Dia _are too risky to bring out right now. But_ Zirconia's _easier to Summon, and can still deal a lot of damage, even if it doesn't have any effects—_

And then the Shadow roared, "Quick-Play Spell: _El Shaddoll Fusion!_ "

 _What?!_ Masumi's jaw fell open, her strategy completely forgotten. _He had another Fusion card the whole time?!_ She had absolutely nothing to defend against _this_ —that accursed dragon had wiped out her only salvation!

"I use my Trap Monster, _Shaddoll Roots_ , as a Fusion Substitute Monster," said the Shadow. The many heads of the horror writhed more violently than ever as if to acknowledge the entity. "Then, I'll fuse it with my _Shaddoll Lizard_ to perform another Fusion Summon!"

The _Roots'_ shadowy form began to glow with fire as it soared into the air, with the thread-bound _Lizard_ not far behind. High above, meanwhile, the vortex of darkness and shimmering teal light began to swirl a second time as the Shadow proclaimed:

 **"Dark heart of the otherworld, bind the** ** _flames_** **to your will!** ** _Fusion Summon!_ "**

A massive silhouette burst forth from the vortex; Masumi could make out an armored humanoid form not unlike that of her _Gem-Knights_. But several things were different: firstly, even from here she could make out the squirming heads of _Roots_ atop the helm of the incoming monster. Secondly, _Midrash_ and the other _Shaddoll_ monsters Masumi had seen so far only had a small amount of glowing purple strings connecting them from the sky. _This_ monster's threads were far more numerous, easily hundreds strong—and stranger still, seemed to come _from the monster itself_.

The third difference wasn't immediately evident until the Fusion Monster hit the ground with a tremendous WHAM, throwing Masumi off her feet a considerable distance away from the Shadow. She landed painfully on the asphalt, feeling a sudden wetness spreading across the back of her skull and along her lower back and both elbows.

But the sight before her made Masumi forget all about the pain.

 **"Burn away the foes who dare to defy your power! Rise now,** ** _El Shaddoll Egrysta!_ "**

To say the black monster before Masumi _towered_ over her was an understatement. It was far bigger than any _Gem-Knight_ in her deck … far bigger than a _Duel Monster_ should have any right to be! Dozens of meters high, broad as a house at the shoulders, and glowing with an angry red energy, its mere presence dwarfed the alleyway. In fact, the alleyway had been absolutely _demolished_ , along with what looked like most of the entire block! Only a small section of the vandalized wall remained standing around her—the same section, Masumi knew, to bear the mysterious, maddening **ÆMÆTH** upon its surface. And her horror only doubled when she saw the telemetry of the massive silhouette floating in front of its armored breast.

(Level 7: _ATK 2450_ /DEF 1950)

 _No …_

"Now—Battle Phase!" screamed the Shadow. " _El Shaddoll Midrash! El Shaddoll Egrysta!_ Attack this _pretender_ directly!"

A terrified Masumi could not even move her body. Her arms weren't responding, and her legs felt as though they'd been encased in ice. All she could do was lay there, eyes squeezed shut, awaiting the inevitable.

 ** _"Blazing Shadowflame!"_**

The blast of amethyst-colored fire from the direct assault consumed Masumi almost instantaneously—there was no time to even brace herself for the worst of it. Her shriek of agony was so loud that it drowned out her Life Point counter dropping to zero; it felt as if her throat was being torn out, and she felt her bleeding body skid along the ruined alley with the onslaught.

A small, logical part of Masumi's mind knew her _body_ was safe here, that the pain was only in her _mind_ —but what pain it was! This was not the mere discomfort of some Action Duel, where safety systems built into the Real Solid Vision generators prevented Duelists from suffering potentially lethal hazards during Action Duels.

 _This_ Duel … this Duel inside her dreams had felt _real_.

That attack had been _real_. The pain had been _real_.

Her fingers suddenly brushed a loose part of the pavement—but it wasn't the pavement itself; it was far too light, and far too smooth. It almost felt like … a card!

With great difficulty, Masumi's bloodied fingers closed over the card, turned it over—and all hope left her when she saw the figure in the artwork. She would know that spiky hair and bamboo _shinai_ anywhere.

 _No …_

She wasn't holding a _Duel Monsters_ card—she was holding _Toudou Yaiba_.

The jolt of horror had been the impetus Masumi needed to finally stand up. She turned round in a circle on wobbly legs, seeing the cards at her feet, seeing the familiar faces they depicted, every last one of them twisted in fear.

 _Yaiba … Hokuto … her mother and father … Professor Marco …_

She felt her heart wrenching into shreds with each card she discovered—with each face she held dear—unable to see her grief or hear her anguish. Tears were rolling down her face, even as a growing rage choked her insides, a _hatred_ of the Shadow that had beaten her, hissing and bubbling like acid—

She spun around at the steadfast chunk of concrete—the last testament to the brief and brutal Duel:

 **ÆMÆTH**

" _Get out of my head, damn you!_ " screeched Masumi at the taunting word—before she was kicked back to the ground.

The Shadow had come from out of nowhere, and did not let up in its assault, stamping down _hard_ on Masumi's wrist before she could recover, trapping her under its heel. Through the renewed surge of pain, she saw the faceless head of the Shadow tilt down towards her, exuding a terrible aura like some rotting stench of the mind.

" _There_ is the answer to your question, Koutsu Masumi," the Shadow growled in her ear. " _There_ is the truth you wanted to know." The disgust in the entity's words felt like salt in her wounds. "I hope it was _worth it_ for you, to sacrifice _so much_ for something you _already knew_ would come to pass."

The Fusion Duelist bit her lip to ward off the pain, feeling the blood flow down her chin. "What are you … talking about?" she was barely able to grunt in defiance, putting every last ounce of strength she had into her reply.

But the Shadow was already pressing some buttons on its Duel Disk, and Masumi felt her insides shrivel—she knew what was going to happen.

"After the Duel you put on against me," it said dispassionately, "I don't think you deserve to know _that_ truth. But this will not be the last time you see me, Koutsu Masumi. One way or another, you _will_ have to Duel me again."

It raised the Duel Disk, and the device began to glow with purple light. "And when that time comes," said the Shadow, "I would _win_ , if I were you."

Masumi struggled, trying desperately to break free of the Shadow's heel, but to no avail. The Duel Disk _flashed_ —

* * *

—and Masumi _screamed_.

Several things happened at that moment. She sat upright so violently that her forehead hit her knees, and her shriek of fright rapidly turned into a yelp of pain as her reflexes kicked in, sending her right foot into the wall with a loud _thump_. This only served to redouble the aching sensations in Masumi's body as she drew her foot back, tangling herself in the covers even more; making her feel like a caterpillar in its cocoon. Her sheets and clothes were drenched in her own sweat, stinking like they hadn't been washed in a week.

It felt like a long time before Masumi was willing to accept that the nightmare was over. She peeked out of her covers, taking in the darkness of the room, and the beams of moonlight that sliced through her blinds. A quick look through those revealed no sign of glowing purple threads in the sky, and no trace of a wrecked Leo Duel School.

Finally, she was convinced. "Ugh," she moaned under her breath. "What a nightmare."

An urgent knocking sounded on her door. "Masumi? Masumi!"

She was much too frazzled to acknowledge her father, and so did not protest when he burst into her bedroom, looking more than a little annoyed—but more than exceedingly worried.

"Good grief, Masumi, what's the matter with you?" he blustered. "You were thrashing and kicking against my bedroom wall for the past hour! Are you all right?!"

Masumi sighed. "I just had a bad dream, Father," she groaned, rubbing her eyes to better see him. "That's all it was"— _I_ hope _that's all it was_ —"and I'll be back to sleep soon"— _I_ really _hope that's something I can do_ —

"Is this the reason you weren't sleeping well last night?" her father asked. "Is this why you were having such a hard time at work yesterday?"

Masumi's face fell, and her father definitely noticed. "I'm sorry," he sighed apologetically. "I didn't mean to—"

But she waved him off. "It was just a nightmare," she said, wishing she knew enough to know for sure if that was the honest truth. "Just a dream."

Her father remained unconvinced. Masumi couldn't blame him; she couldn't lie to her own father—but neither could she tell him what had truly happened. It was so sensational and ridiculous that he would never believe her!

Fortunately, however, her father also looked too exhausted to argue the matter any further. "We'll talk more about this in the morning," he said, heaving a heavy sigh indeed. "Why don't you change out of your clothes and draw a bath? You smell like you need one."

Masumi sniffed, and promptly blanched. _No arguments there_. "Take a soak, get yourself relaxed, do whatever you need to do," pleaded her father, "just _please_ try to go back to bed."

Hesitantly, she nodded. "I'll try." _The key word being 'try'_ , she thought wearily as he closed the door with a _snap_ , and walked back into his bedroom. Only minutes later, Masumi heard his snoring filter though the walls.

Now alone in the house, and alone in her own thoughts, Masumi felt her body start to shake like a leaf in the wind—and try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to stop.

* * *

 **A/N: Special mention to Witch of Tragedies for the most** ** _exhaustive_** **review I've ever seen on one of my stories. That one critique has had me checking my Find-and-Replace sidebar for duplicate words an inordinately large number of times. Behold the power of constructive criticism.**

 **Anyhow, I'm gonna take a short break on this while I do some research on future chapters and projects. Thanks for reading! - K**


	3. III

III

Masumi's alarm clock read exactly 3:22 by the time she'd cast the last of her dirty, sweaty clothes on her bedroom floor. So out of sorts was she that hadn't even bothered to toss them in her laundry hamper five feet away—that could be done at any time, she reasoned, and her father wasn't nearly as terrible a stickler for cleanliness as his wife.

By 3:27, she'd stepped into a freshly drawn hot bath, and despite herself, she sucked in a breath of air as the water closed around her toes. She gave a shaky sigh as she lowered herself into the water.

In the twenty minutes after her father had gone back to bed, and the five minutes she'd spent getting ready for her bath, Masumi's body had not stopped shivering once.

Most of those twenty-five minutes had been spent with her arms cinched around her chest as though she'd been locked inside a straightjacket. Now, however, in the privacy of the bathroom, Masumi had gone one step further, curling up into a ball. Her hands were gripping her ankles like lifelines, and she was shaking so violently that her body was sending off little ripples in the water.

She had never remembered having such an _intense_ dream in her life before. Masumi had never claimed to be an expert in dreams—especially not in interpreting them—but in hindsight, she was quite surprised that it had taken her as long as it had to wake up. The moments following the Shadow's direct attack to end the Duel had felt so painful that she should have woken up _then_ , simply from the sheer intensity of the pain.

Masumi let out a long, shaky sigh, trying to control her breathing, but this did little to stop her from shivering. It was the worst defeat she'd suffered in a very long time—certainly longer than she remembered. Even though a part of her was glad it hadn't been an official match, moving on from a Duel that lopsided was going to take time.

 _The Duel_. That was the other thing that worried her. She had fully expected the Shadow to use _Gem-Knights_ as well—it was a standard trope when fighting one's worst fear, was it not, for that fear to turn the hero's greatest weapon against her? But instead, it had used _another_ Deck, of which she knew _nothing_ about. Had those monsters been mere figments of her imagination, too, along with the Shadow that had Summoned them?

She heaved another sigh. _Duel Monsters I've never seen before … the ruined city in my dream … its people sealed away like Hokuto …_

 _And that word …_

 **ÆMÆTH**

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the vision, but to no avail. The mysterious symbols had been burned into her mind, and would stay there forever until her question was answered.

 _But how_ do _I answer it?_ Masumi thought. _Where would I even start? What's connecting all these things together?_

Slowly, the Fusion Duelist uncurled herself out of her ball. For the first time since her unpleasant awakening, she noticed that she was no longer shaking. The gears were beginning to turn in her mind—she needed to make a plan.

Masumi often liked to equate her thought process with carving a gemstone. She'd watched her father do it more times than she could count—more than enough to visualize the process in her head, even if she wasn't certified to use the cutting tools yet. She'd start with the unrefined rock, then gradually whittle away all the unnecessary bits via grinding out the preform. Optional sanding to round off any unneeded edges or flat surfaces—or alternatively, lap at the surface for a many-faceted stone. Add a bit of polish for good measure, _et voilà!_

She'd spent an hour in the bathtub by the time she'd applied that bit of polish to the plan she'd devised. The warm water had long since turned lukewarm, and Masumi's body looked like one big prune as she dried off. But for once, she didn't care—at last, she had a plan of action to deal with this dream.

But the hard part, she reflected, had yet to wake up from his slumber—and Masumi wondered if her father had had a better time sleeping tonight than she had.

* * *

Late that morning at breakfast, the dining room was rather quiet. Masumi, who had remained awake since her bath, gulped down her food in silence, every so often stealing glances at her father. He wasn't eating anything at all, and his gaze had yet to leave his daughter. Evidently he was still uneasy about the violent way she'd woken up last night, but hadn't yet worked up the courage to speak to her about it. Masumi caught him chewing on his own tongue more than once, as if he was trying to get a word in edgewise, but was either unwilling or unable to do so.

At length, she finished her breakfast, and got up to wash her bowl in the sink.

"Masumi?"

She fought the urge to sigh. _Well … here we go_. "What is it, Father?"

Now that he'd been the first one to speak, Masumi thought, she could see that his eyes were no longer meeting hers. Was he that worried about how his daughter would take whatever he had to say?

"I'm not going to ask what you were dreaming about last night," her father hesitantly said. "Frankly, I'm not sure it's my business to know what goes on in your head while you sleep. Besides," he added, "I think recent events are probably all the answer I need, am I right?"

Masumi nodded.

"Okay. I'd be surprised if it was just you having dreams about that, anyway," he conceded. "I am, however, concerned that whatever you were dreaming about might be affecting you adversely—or that it could in the future."

"What do you mean?"

Her father groaned as he stretched out his legs briefly. "I got an email from LDS earlier this morning. They scheduled an in-service day for Friday—today—and they also want to resume classes this coming Monday."

Masumi raised her eyebrows. After everything that had happened with this dream, it was somewhat startling to remember that she was still a student of LDS, and that the odds of an institution like LDS cancelling school for the rest of the semester were less than zero. In hindsight, though, she wasn't surprised they'd be resuming after a week's absence—any longer than that would be pushing it.

Finally, her father looked her in the eye. "Masumi, I'm going to be honest," he said. "After what I saw last night, I'm very worried about you. I'm worried that everything that's happened to you these past couple weeks—in your dreams _and_ out of them—is hitting you harder than you're letting on to me. I understand that you're a big girl now, that you're more than capable of handling a lot of things on your own. For that, I'm proud of you.

"But at the same time, there are some times where you just can't go it alone. I want you to realize that your family's here for you. I'm here for you—even your mother's here for you. If there's anything you think we need to know about, then please let us know. You'll _always_ be our daughter. Nothing you dream about will change that. Okay?"

Masumi smiled, grateful that her father was as supportive as he was. "Okay. Thank you."

Her father beamed—then, just as suddenly, his face was businesslike once more. "All right," he said. "I think you need to see someone about this dream, Masumi—and I think you ought to do it today. A therapist, a psychiatrist—any kind of professional who can help you make sense of what exactly is happening in your head."

The Fusion user gawked. _A psychiatrist? Today?!_ " … Don't you think that's a little extreme?" she asked. "I've only had this dream once, you know." That wasn't completely true, though, she thought—however, there were so much differences between last night's dream and the one from the night before that they might as well be completely separate events. "I don't think a single dream is worth sending me over to a therapist."

"If anything isn't done about it soon, it could well be," said her father. "You've got less than three days until school starts back up, Masumi. I know how much you value your education at LDS—I know how badly you want to stay at the top of your class. Do you really think this dream is going to let you do that if you just let it sit in your head?"

Masumi could not think of an answer to that. She knew he was right on all counts; if this hurdle wasn't jumped over soon, it would just get that much bigger—that much harder to clear. As for wanting to stay at the top of the Fusion circuit … Masumi was not so worried about that. Jewelry stores weren't likely going to care about how good a Duelist she was. But she had a good thing going at LDS— _and who knows?_ she thought. _Maybe if I keep on doing well enough, keep competing in more tournaments, there might be other opportunities waiting for me besides the family business_.

Slowly, she nodded. "You're right. I shouldn't let it get the better of me," she admitted. "But you're sure that I need to see a therapist to make that happen? It sounds like spending a lot of money just to talk about one dream."

Her father stood up. "I was actually about to suggest something else. I know that LDS has a number of counselors who talk with students about whatever might be going on in their lives at the moment. I imagine they'll have their work cut out for them in the future," he added under his breath. "Perhaps you'd like to speak with one of them?"

 _A school counselor …_ The more Masumi thought about it, the more this seemed like a very good idea. It could easily be incorporated into the plan she'd drawn up in the bathroom last night—and if luck remained on her side, it'd nab two birds with the same stone. She'd have an outlet to talk about her dream, and still have an opportunity to check out facts on her own time.

"How soon can you make an appointment?" she asked, feeling a renewed sense of confidence.

"I can call in right now," said her father. "Whenever you feel ready."

"Do that," said Masumi, heading for her bedroom. "I'm going to get dressed for today. There're some things I'd like to take care of while I'm at LDS, anyway. Just a side project—nothing for a grade," she added upon seeing her father's questioning look. "I'll call you as soon as I'm on my way back home."

* * *

That was how, at roughly half past ten, Masumi found herself once again standing before the great glass doors of the Leo Duel School. This time, however, she could see people walking about inside the building—no students, but enough staff to tell her that the building wouldn't be locked like the other day.

 _Here goes nothing_ , she thought with a deep breath. She pushed open the doors, and made for the front desk.

"Good morning," she told the woman behind the counter. "Could you point me to"—she checked the slip of paper on which she'd hastily written the name of the counselor her father had spoken with less than an hour ago—"Dr. Grimm's office? I've got an appointment scheduled ten minutes from now."

"Of course," answered the receptionist with a glowing smile typical among her profession. "She's in room 322. Third floor up the elevator, take a right down the second hallway you cross, second door on the left."

"Thanks!" Masumi quickly made her way to the lifts in the center of the lobby.

* * *

Finding room 322 took a few minutes longer than Masumi would have liked. Staff offices were a far cry from the spacious classrooms and lecture halls that she was used to being inside. The third floor, however, proved to be a veritable honeycomb of densely packed workspaces that felt cramped even from the outside.

The rooms along the second hallway were much larger, though—enough so that they might double as apartment space if the need arose. Masumi wasn't altogether surprised by this. In a space like Maiami City, living space was at a premium; a growing number of educators were finding it more economically convenient to actually live inside the schools where they taught. By the looks of it, the counselor Masumi's father had called was one of these people.

She found the room within moments of turning right down the hallway. A simple placard at eye level was the only decoration it possessed:

 **322**

 **Dr. Gwendolyn Grimm**

The door was slightly ajar, which surprised Masumi a little. She knocked three times, not wanting to be rude.

"Come in!" a woman's warm, cheerful voice echoed from inside an adjoining room—late twenties or early thirties, by the sound of it, and Masumi heard a distinct British accent as well. "Come find a seat—I'll be right with you!"

She pushed open the door, stepping inside the office—and had to work very hard to keep her jaw from dropping. Masumi hadn't visited a lot of staff offices in her time at LDS, but more often than not, the ones she _had_ visited looked bland and uninspired, possessing little in the way of personal decoration or aesthetic style.

The space before her, however, looked so much like someone's living room that Masumi had to briefly duck back outside to make sure she was still in the third-floor hallway. A pair of overstuffed armchairs flanked a small coffee table that sat in the exact center of the room, supporting a china tea set large enough for two people. The entire far wall was a glass partition that overlooked Maiami City, eliminating most of the necessity for artificial light. Finally, several doors flanked each end of the window; going off her previous assumption, Masumi assumed them to be living spaces. The door off to her left was cracked open, allowing a faint smell of tealeaves to waft into the office.

This door now opened wider, and this time Masumi's jaw really _did_ drop as the owner stepped out into full view. "Well, hello there," Dr. Gwendolyn Grimm exclaimed. "Koutsu Masumi—I'm so glad to meet you!"

Of all the ways she'd wondered what a school counselor might look like, the woman standing before her was quite possibly the one Masumi had expected the least. Dr. Grimm was tall and willowy, with thick, spring-green hair tied back in a ponytail that spilled down her tan overcoat like an emerald waterfall. Exactly _why_ she was wearing an overcoat indoors was a mystery to Masumi, but she dearly wished Dr. Grimm would take it off. The garment had clearly seen better days; it was patched and threadbare in several places. The cuffs of the overlarge sleeves were almost completely frayed, with stray threads hanging off the cuff every few inches.

One of these sleeves drooped over what smelled like a fresh pot of tea. "I just boiled a kettle," Dr. Grimm said, hiking up her worn sleeve to better display the teapot. "Would you like some?"

Masumi quickly closed her jaw. "Oh, um—sure, Dr. Grimm," she said as she accepted a teacup. "Thanks."

This earned a laugh that tinkled rather like the fine china on the table. "Oh, please, call me Wendy, Masumi," said the doctor, pouring out some of the kettle's steaming contents into a cup. "Much easier to say than Gwendolyn Grimm, don't you think?"

The Fusion Duelist had no idea how to respond to that, so she merely settled for a half-shrug that she hoped said _I guess so._ She sipped at her tea to lessen the sudden awkward feeling, and found the taste surprisingly pleasant. "I like the tea, Wendy."

"I'm glad you think so," Wendy said, now raising a cup of her own to her lips as she sat down on the chair opposite Masumi. "The one thing your school can't do seems to be a decent pot of chamomile and ginger. Mind you, I've grown to like the _sencha_ after a while, but I still write my mother in London for a fresh tin every other month or so."

 _That explains the accent_ , thought Masumi. "London? What brought you all the way from London?" she asked.

"Call it a working opportunity," replied Wendy with a smile and another sip of tea. "As it turns out, there aren't nearly as many Duel Schools in the United Kingdom as there are in Japan. I believed I'd have a better chance of employment here than in any other country. So once I'd earned my degree, I sent out my résumé almost literally to the four corners of the globe—and this was the first school that replied back to me."

She leaned back in her chair, and cleared her throat. When Wendy next spoke, there was a decidedly businesslike feel to her voice. "Now, then," she said, "your father called ahead to schedule our appointment, but he didn't give me any particulars as to what it concerned—only that it had to do with a dream of yours? Is that right?"

Masumi nodded.

"Well, then … what can you tell me about this dream?" Wendy smiled. "Take some time to gather your thoughts if you need to. You can start whenever you're ready."

Masumi took a deep breath, willing her mind to empty itself of any clutter, and then exhaled, letting the imagery of her dream take center stage. Then again, a third time … in … out … Finally, on the fifth exhale, she began to talk.

"It started out simple enough," she began. "I was downtown, in the middle of some street—I don't know which one. It's almost totally silent—I can hear myself breathing, my heart beating. It'd be nighttime, cloudy—but not regular clouds. They looked like contrails—from jet engines, you know. I'd walk along the street, and I'd see people—"

She faltered here, but it was only for a moment, and Masumi summoned up the courage to continue almost immediately thereafter. "—being turned into cards," she finished.

Wendy said nothing, but her warm smile—and another sip of her chamomile and ginger—helped Masumi to go on.

"Before long, I'd arrive at some alleyway," she said. "There's purple light everywhere, like from a big neon sign overhead—but it's coming from the clouds, these long threads of cloud that fill the sky. The light's bright enough that I can see the graffiti on the walls, even during the night. Most of was just squiggles and random tags, but there was one word that stood out the most for me."

"Oh?" Wendy said. "What was it?"

Again, Masumi faltered—but this time, fear of her dream had little to do with it. "I … I don't know how to say it," she confessed. "I've never seen the word before in my life. Aiee … may-eth, I think? Eye-mai-eth?"

Wendy's brow furrowed. "Um, here—maybe if I wrote it down … " Masumi offered, reaching for a pen and a stack of sticky notes on the end table nearest her. Slowly, carefully, she wrote down the collection of symbols that had been grafted into her mind ever since the night before last:

 **ÆMÆTH**

She pushed the note over to Wendy, who pursed her lips as she read the single word. "Hmm."

Masumi thought she heard a note of recognition in the "hmm." "Do you know what this is?" she asked.

Wendy chewed her tongue, obviously trying to formulate a response appropriate for a fourteen-year-old to process. "Masumi," she finally asked, "are you familiar with the story about the Golem?"

She shook her head.

At this, something changed in the counselor's expression, and Wendy's smile widened perceptibly. The bright, bubbly attitude was still there, but beneath it laid the zeal and rampant enthusiasm of a practiced storyteller.

"Oh, it was one of my favorite stories when I was growing up," Wendy gushed. "I can't say I recall it by heart, but I can certainly try. It's a very, very old story, you know.

"A long time ago," she explained to Masumi, "there was a man who wanted to make his own personal warrior to fight for him. At least, I think it was a warrior—the story's been retold so many times over the years that no one's sure how this warrior was made, or who made him or why. But all of them agree that this warrior, or servant, or whoever it was, was created from the earth itself, and molded into the shape of a human being. The man would then write a word— _æmæth_ —on the head of this 'Golem,' and it would come to life, and obey his commands."

 _Æmæth_. There it was, Masumi thought—the same word that had been tormenting her dreams.

But for the first time, the word was only an afterthought for her. Masumi had been paying attention to Wendy's story, how this 'Golem' had come to be, and right from the start she had noticed some parallels to the real world.

"That almost sounds like Summoning a Duel Monster," she said.

Wendy leaned slightly towards Masumi. "That was _precisely_ what captivated me about it," she said, her bright smile almost manic in its intensity. "Unfortunately, I wasn't much for Dueling when I was your age—I looked into one or two clubs when I started university, but all the rules were too much for me to take in. Still, that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the creativity and inspiration behind the game.

"And this story! A _real_ Duel Monster, from before Duel Monsters even existed! Not some hologram or hard-light construct, but _earth_ and _stone_ and … oh, listen to me, I'm getting off track," Wendy tittered. "I'm so terribly sorry—I just don't get to talk about this story very often."

"That's all right," Masumi smiled back as she took another draught of tea. "But I heard you say that word just now— _æmæth_. What does it mean?"

Wendy was still smiling. "It isn't just _any_ word, Masumi—at least, not if you believe those old stories. _Æmæth_ , for lack of a better term, is _the_ word." Off Masumi's intrigued reaction, she went on, "The closest I could translate it would be 'the truth of God'—the idea being that merely speaking this _truth_ …this one single word … was what gave life to the first man and woman in certain creation myths."

The Fusion user sat there, intrigued by what she was hearing. _The truth of God … the word that gave life … Summoning creatures from the earth itself … breathing life into them with a mere incantation …_

Wendy cleared her throat, washing down the sudden dryness from her storytelling with more tea. "Now, I never claimed to be a God-fearing woman, not even back home," she said, "so were I you, I wouldn't take that _particular_ interpretation at face value. Any old thing can possess different meanings to different people—and that goes double for whenever you're talking about religion of any shape or form.

"But yes, back to the Golem," she said hurriedly. "As time went on, the man began to notice his servant was becoming more powerful, and more in danger of destroying his home and village. So he removed the first bit of the word from the Golem's head, where it was inscribed, leaving only _'mæth'_. With this, the Golem returned to the earth from which it was made, and crumbled into dust."

"' _Mæth_ '?"

"If _æmæth_ is the 'truth of God'," said Wendy, "then _mæth_ would be the ' _absence_ of the truth of God'—or, to put it more simply … death."

Most unwisely, Masumi had chosen that exact moment to take a drink of tea, and Wendy's revelation caused her to miss her mouth completely. She yelped as the hot liquid dribbled down her lips and her chin, and onto her skirt.

Her mind, however, was on a whole other world entirely as she digested this latest tidbit of knowledge—and the sudden ominous feeling that had come with it, and wrapped her in a freezing shadow. The tea had evaporated in her stomach, leaving only a bitter, shriveling sensation of dread.

"That's the last thing I wanted to hear," she murmured.

"How do you mean?" inquired Wendy.

Another deep breath. "At the other end of the alley in my dream, there's this … shadow," said Masumi. "I don't know if it's a man or a woman—I was too angry at it to know for sure. We start to Duel, and I lose. Badly." The agony from that double direct attack was still fresh in her mind, and an echo of that pain snaked through her skin, making her shiver. It took several moments and another sip of tea before she could bring herself to continue.

"The first time I had this dream, the night before last," she went on, "the Duel went by in a flash—it all happened so fast. Like with Yaiba and … " She stopped, chewed her tongue as the memories of that violent Duel flashed in her mind, then dispelled them as quickly as they'd come with a small cough. "Anyway, the dream changed last night. I got to see our Duel for the first time. This shadow was a Fusion user, but he used monsters I didn't recognize—some kind of … shadow puppets. _Shaddolls_ , he called them."

Wendy frowned. "What were you Dueling over, that made you so angry?"

"It … started off as something about the Lancers," Masumi said. "This shadow seemed to think they wouldn't succeed in what they were doing—and I had the feeling it knew more about them than I did. But it only started out that way. In this alley, I always see cards all around us, thrown about the ground. When I lost in this last dream … I saw some of them."

"I take it they weren't cards of Duel Monsters?" Wendy asked softly.

Masumi confirmed her with another nod. "People," she said. "My family … Yaiba, and my friends … our classmates … other Duelists from the championship, and … "

For a moment, she saw images of Marco, her favorite professor at LDS, in her mind's eye. Then Hokuto's face shimmered into being alongside him—and the barrier broke.

 _"Damn it!"_

Masumi wasn't aware of her fist crashing onto the table at full force until she heard the china rattle. An instant later, she felt the brief flare of pain in her arm, and it served to bring her back to her senses, with Hokuto and Marco vanishing from her thoughts like smoke on the wind.

Wendy, for her part, did not look nearly as rattled as her crockery. That did not stop Masumi, however, from feeling exceedingly ashamed of herself at having lost her temper the way she had—and in front of LDS staff, no less.

"Sorry," she mumbled with a heavy sigh, hanging her head.

"Don't be," Wendy said, her voice sympathetic. "It's natural to feel angry over something like this. I was angry, too, when I heard the news. The thought of Duels being reduced to something as barbaric as war …"

Masumi looked up just in time to see a shadow fall across Wendy's face, underscoring the disgusted tone in her words. It lingered for only an instant, however, and the counselor was back to her initial cheerful self before long.

"Well, that's neither here nor there," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Masumi, I think what's going on with you seems to be a classic example of projection."

"Projection?"

"Yes. You were shown some very graphic images in Centre Court, when the Akabas gave their speech to the world," Wendy told her, and Masumi couldn't help but agree there. "Further, you witnessed some very intense Duels in the days preceding the Battle Royale. All this is than enough to give _anyone_ nightmares, I daresay—but it's affected _you_ more than most because people you knew well were caught in the crossfire. Would you agree?"

The Fusion user blinked. From a certain point of view, she thought, Wendy was right. Every dream, no matter how fantastical or nonsensical, had to have _some_ form of grounding in real-life memories—even her Duel with this strange Shadow. Wendy's claims would certainly explain why she'd seen Hokuto and Yaiba in sealed cards after her loss to the Shadow—though it was still a far cry from explaining away the existence of the Shadow itself.

"Maybe," she thought, thinking of the looming forms of _Midrash_ and _Egrysta_. "I don't know … "

Wendy shrugged, evidently not anticipating a direct answer to her question. "Well, let's try and connect some more dots here, shall we?" she suggested. "It seems to me as if some of these events in your dream hinge around Fusion Summoning in some way. I learned about what happened during Kurosaki Shun's Duel. And I can only imagine that what happened with Yaiba's Duel two days later added yet more fuel to the fire."

 _That was an understatement_ , thought Masumi. Ryouzanpaku's methods had drawn flak from critics in the past, but seeing them inflicted on someone you knew well would hit home for anyone. She'd had to heavily restrain herself from protesting the Duel after watching Yaiba get physically pummeled into the Action Field.

"Finally," finished Wendy, "Himika's announcement then made you believe Fusion as a whole was considered a great enemy—which is why I _suspect_ your mysterious shadow uses that Summoning method in the first place."

"What makes you say that?" Masumi wanted to know, still not quite seeing where Wendy was going with this. "More to the point, what makes you think I'm projecting at all in these nightmares I'm having?"

"Because _you_ use Fusion yourself," Wendy answered her. "Very well, from what I'm told—but more importantly, I also suspect that deep down, you believe this enemy's actions have made the entire Summoning method look bad. To that end, _you_ created that shadow in your dream to not only put a face to that enemy—a focal point for that anger you recently demonstrated on my coffee table—but to redeem yourself in some way, to prove to your peers that Fusion is not as irredeemably evil as some people in this city might now believe. Am I with you so far?"

Masumi, who had been listening to the analysis with a growing air of confusion, shrugged uncertainly. "I guess so. I never really thought about it that way." That was true—nothing that Wendy had said to her had even occurred to Masumi before. The whole angle about "redeeming herself" had especially come from out of nowhere, and it left the Fusion user wondering if perhaps Wendy was overthinking this dream just a little.

 _Like you aren't_ , said a nasty little voice in her head.

"I still don't get what that word— _æmæth_ —has to do with any of it," Masumi said, perhaps a little too snappishly. She'd raised the question partly to see if Wendy had any answer to that, but mostly to give her mind something else to think about. Meanings and layers in dreams weren't what concerned Masumi right now. All she wanted to know was the source of the imagery, and what she could do to be rid of it for good.

"Well, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough," Wendy told her, draining her cup of tea. "Dreams may have the same beginning, but they will never take the same path to the end. Who knows? Perhaps you'll find out more about that Word in another dream. Perhaps you'll face this mysterious shadow, too—and win, even. And _that_ , Masumi," she said, with a smile on her face bright enough to outshine a diamond, "that is a 'truth of God' if ever there was one."

Masumi felt her face flush at the compliment, unable to resist a small smile. "That's more like it," soothed Wendy encouragingly. "Don't let this hang over your head. You're still the best Fusion Duelist who's ever walked through the doors of this building. And the next time you see that shadow, I want you to show him _why_."

It was hard for Masumi to stay glum after hearing that—though perhaps the tea had had something to do with it, too. She was severely tempted to stay for a second cup and maybe a snack—anything to prolong her talk with the LDS counselor. She had to bear in mind, though, that today was an in-service day; no doubt Wendy had had to take time out of an already busy day to schedule this appointment. Besides, she reflected, there were _other_ things to do today.

So, after that brief moment of debate, she finished up her own chamomile and ginger, carefully placing the cup back in its saucer on the table. "Thanks, Wendy—for the tea and the talk," Masumi said graciously.

"You're very welcome," Wendy beamed at her. "Now, here's what I'd like you to do as far as this dream goes. You've already recounted it to me in very accurate detail—even if some parts might have been descriptively vague. Now most kids I've counseled in the past aren't able to remember much more than the endings of their dreams after a long enough time—in other words, right when they wake up. _You_ , however, seem to have a wonderfully accurate memory, and that's why I think you'll find this to be a very easy task to accomplish."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd like you to keep a dream diary, Masumi," Wendy answered. "I'm almost certain you're going to be having this dream again, and I happen to agree with your father." Her face assumed a more subdued, serious expression. "If this nightmare you're having isn't dealt with soon, then it could very well begin to affect your studies here, among other things. And if we're to discover how to beat this Shadow in your dreams, we need to know as much about those dreams as possible. That way, you can be prepared for anything it throws at you in the future."

Masumi nodded her agreement, and decided to voice just one more question. "How long do you think I need to keep this … _diary?_ "

Wendy considered this. "With everything you've told me so far, I'd be surprised if we needed much more than a single night's worth of material," she replied. "Though I would also suggest you go over everything you remember from your previous dreams, too—maybe even have a look through your Deck to see what kind of strategies you could make to defeat this Shadow. I'd like to see you again once class starts back up next Monday. I'll send word to your teachers later today so I can plan a possible meeting time."

"Sounds good." Masumi checked the clock on the wall, and raised an eyebrow—they'd been talking for quite a while. "I should head back home now—before my father thinks I'm just doing this as an excuse to skip work."

Wendy tittered again. "Of course. Here," she said, retrieving another sticky note from the tray on the table, and scrawling a series of numbers on it. "You can take this with you," she offered. "I've not been so intrigued by a student in all the time I've worked here. If you'd like to visit me before Monday, just call that number, and I'll pencil you in for another meeting as soon as we're both able. I'd love to talk to you again."

Masumi accepted the note. "Oh … thanks," she said a little hesitantly, not expecting to get a way to contact Wendy so quickly. "I'll do that." She made for the door. "Thanks again for meeting with me."

"The pleasure was mine," smiled Wendy as the Fusion Duelist stepped back into the hallway. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

Masumi stepped out of the elevator with an uneasy feeling in her stomach that had nothing to do with how quickly she'd eaten lunch. On the one hand, she felt comforted to have at least _some_ answers to what she'd seen in her nightmare. It would definitely help her with this dream diary—perhaps it would even help her draw her own conclusions as to what she dreamed about.

On the other hand, there were some questions that Wendy Grimm hadn't been able to answer. All her talk about projection, redemption, and the _truth of God_ hadn't helped Masumi find out the truth she was interested in—the origin of the Shadow's Flip and Fusion Monsters. Nor had it shed any light on just how it knew about the Lancers—and how much more it knew about them than Masumi did.

Unfortunately, one of those questions would have to wait until tonight to be answered, it would seem. As for the other query, Masumi hoped she would be finding out the truth soon enough. Her _real_ intentions for coming to LDS today and sitting through that meeting—though Masumi had admittedly found the conversation with Dr. Grimm _very_ pleasant, even enlightening—were just around the corner.

Hopefully, it would have the answers Masumi was _really_ seeking.

* * *

On any given day, LDS' main computer lab would be occupied by a number of different Duelists studying for future tests or competitions, whether they were at or away from school. Nearly a hundred state-of-the-art machines had been set up inside this room, each of them manufactured by the Leo Corporation, allowing for maximum access to just about everything out there that was Duel Monsters-related.

None of the terminals were in use today, which was good. Masumi didn't anticipate anyone coming in to bother her today, but she preferred working in a quiet environment to being surrounded by classmates and teachers constantly. Plus, she also had a feeling that what she was planning on doing was not, strictly speaking, legitimate homework.

She keyed in her password, logging into one of the workstations. "Access Duel Monster database," she dictated, allowing the voice-activated software to quickly load up the digital repository where rested nearly ten thousand cards, new and old. If the game designers had released it, then this database would contain every shred of information on it.

The screen suddenly beeped, and a message bubble popped up in the center of Masumi's screen.

 **Third-level user access detected.**

 **Redirecting to read-only database ...  
**

The message soon disappeared, but no sooner had it vanished than a second, larger bubble blipped in its place:

 **NOTICE: Data alteration prohibited without recognized prime- or administrator-level access.**

 **Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action per** ** _LDS Terms of Agreement_** **, section 10.2.3.**

 **Continue Y/N?**

Masumi pressed _Y_. The appearance of the window had given her pause, but only for a moment. She wasn't worried about the lack of proper credentials; after all, she was only here to research information, not to change it outright.

A nanosecond after inputting the keystroke, Masumi's screen flared white, and a hundred lines of blue, underlined text spilled all over the screen, each one representing a single Duel Monsters card. The list was sortable by release date, alphabetical order, and Summoning type, among other things.

Masumi selected _Sort by A-Z_ , thus beginning the monotonous task of scrolling down the extensive list.

 _E …_

 _M …_

 _S …_

 _Sh … Sha_ , she finally reached after five minutes of tedious searching—only to find nothing. The cards she was searching for were nowhere to be found.

 _That can't be right_ , Masumi thought, confounded. She sorted by a different category next: the release date, starting with the most recent card introduced to the game. Maybe these _Shaddoll_ monsters hadn't existed until recently, she thought. They _had_ , to be fair, been a complete nonentity to her knowledge until last night. That was it … yes … maybe they'd just been added, and hadn't yet been properly incorporated into the database.

But a second search proved futile—and now a very mystified Masumi was starting to get concerned. _Maybe Wendy was right_ , she mused. Maybe this Shadow had been some figment of her imagination all along. _If that's true_ , she thought with a laugh, _then I must have a_ really _active imagination._ The notion that she'd begun to design an entire Deck in her dreams was entertaining, if slightly intimidating; Masumi briefly wondered if it would be worth her time to submit this to a design team when she had the chance.

For now, though, it was time to focus on business. _One more search_ , she decided, to see if the third time was truly the charm. If not, Masumi would head home to begin preparations on putting together this dream diary for Wendy.

She cleared her throat. "Input the following word string," she stated. " _Egrysta. Midrash. Shaddoll._ Search." If these _Shaddolls_ truly did exist after all, she thought, then searching the _entire_ database—not just cards, but _groups_ of cards, from the smallest of series to entire archetypes—was the most efficient way to bring it up. She crossed her arms, awaiting the results to come.

But a moment later, the display of the database suddenly disappeared, showing the default desktop background on every workstation. Before Masumi could react, the screen displayed:

 **ERROR: Insufficient security clearance to execute command.**

 **Session terminated. Forced logoff of workstation in progress.**

 **Continue Y/N?**

The Fusion user stared at the unexpected message, not entirely sure what to think. A dozen different emotions and reactions clamored for supremacy in her brain.

Consternation, as it happened, ultimately prevailed. "Security clearance?!" she demanded at the screen, but it was pointless to expect an answer. The system—evidently not bothering to wait for a yes or no—had already reverted to the login screen. Somehow, Masumi didn't think it would be wise to press her luck a second time.

"Damn it," she swore, lightly stomping the carpet in frustration. She slumped back in her chair with a groan. All her planning had been for nothing.

 _… Or had it?_ Masumi wondered, suddenly sitting back up. A thought had suddenly occurred to her—although she did not like where it was heading. The error message had mentioned that Masumi's third-level access apparently wasn't enough to complete her search string. This implied that a higher-level security clearance could, theoretically, execute the search with little trouble at all. Which in turn could only mean—

"Classified?" she murmured, as if unwilling to believe it—and unbelievable it was. Regardless of whether or not the monsters in that dream had been figments of Masumi's imagination, this conclusion did not bode well—because there was no point in classifying something that, to the best of her knowledge, didn't even exist in the real world.

 _Unless …_

Masumi backed away from the terminal, staring at the machine as though it had just propositioned her—roses, ring and all. Her mind was racing like mad, slowly beginning to arrive at a very unpleasant conclusion.

She had no earthly idea what was going on here, or even _why_ —but one thing had become clear to Koutsu Masumi: _there was no way she could keep this silent_. Someone at LDS had to be told about this—one of the professors, at least; someone with the security clearance to investigate who had done this, and why.

She hurried out of the lab—and immediately ran right into a soft wall of vivid pink. A sudden step back sent a bucketful of ice pouring into her stomach: that pink wall was the dress of none other than Akaba Himika, Chairwoman of LDS, and mother to the Leo Corporation's chief executive.

The heart-shaped, shocking pink hairstyle belied the cunning mind beneath it; Akaba Himika had thrown her life's work into putting both her Duel School and her company on the world map. She had been hugely successful at this even before her infamous speech at Centre Court the previous week, annexing one Duel School after another. You Show had been the latest school to be subjected to the normally lengthy process, but extenuating circumstances brought on by the attacks on LDS-affiliated people had sped things up considerably. You Show, however, had prevailed after Sakaki Yuuya won by default—Akaba Reiji, upon hearing news of another attack on LDS personnel, had conceded the Duel that would otherwise have brought it under Himika's watchful eyes.

Those same ice-blue eyes now looked down upon Masumi, staring at her with infinite calm. "I wasn't aware classes had resumed," she said coolly, lowering the tablet she'd been examining to focus fully on the student in front of her.

Masumi said nothing in reply; it was an unspoken rule at LDS to never speak unless first spoken to when in the presence of Akaba Himika.

"Come with me," the head of LDS now said, motioning for Masumi to follow. The Fusion user reluctantly obliged, suddenly feeling much more concerned about her well-being than when she had first made her discovery.

* * *

Himika's office occupied a large section of the top floor of LDS, large enough to quite comfortably fit Masumi's entire house. For all this space, though, the office was very sparsely furnished. Masumi's footsteps echoed loudly on the marble floor as they strode to a desk and single chair that overlooked the waterfront of Maiami City.

Himika indicated the chair. "Sit down, please," she directed Masumi, who did so immediately and without question. The chairwoman took a seat behind her desk shortly thereafter, but did not immediately speak up, merely busying herself with her tablet, poring over documents that Masumi could not make out. She found the silence crushing—she guessed Himika was deliberately doing this to make her uncomfortable.

Finally, Himika slid aside her tablet. "Five minutes ago, I received an alert from security that someone in this building had just attempted to access restricted files." She emphasized every word slowly and deliberately, leveling her icy stare at Masumi. "I want you to explain to me why that _someone_ turned out to be _you_."

The Fusion Duelist's throat suddenly felt very dry, and she felt the room begin to spin around her. Having the effective headmistress of the biggest, most acclaimed Duel School in the region levy accusations of perpetrating a security breach tended to have that effect on someone as young as Masumi.

She gulped. "Um … well … " she stammered— _come on Masumi think of something anything I wasn't trying to cause any trouble what can I tell her to make her realize I wasn't trying to break in_

"I … wanted to find out some information on a Deck," Masumi said haltingly, feeling shivers down her spine and wishing to high heaven that the woman sitting across from her would at least _blink_. It felt as though those light blue eyes were drilling into her like twin lasers. "A … a Fusion Deck."

Mercifully, Himika blinked at this, and the iciness in her stare faded a tiny bit. But she gave no other sign of being persuaded; if anything, Masumi felt she was standing on shakier ground than ever. So she played her last card.

"I just wanted to help Hokuto … and Marco," she finished lamely as she hung her head. She wondered if that might have been overdoing it; the act served partly to put on a mask of genuine contrition for what she'd unwittingly done today. Mostly, however, it was because she _genuinely_ could not bring herself to meet the chairwoman's gaze.

Himika was silent for a very long time. When Masumi felt it safe to look her in the eye once again, she was amazed to see the woman's eyes looking much less colder than before; the ice in that stare had melted somewhat. It was clear that Chairwoman Akaba was a master of self-control, but Masumi had a feeling that somewhere deep down— _very_ deep down—this woman sympathized for her after all she'd been through.

"I see," Himika finally said. "We're doing everything we can for them both. I wish I could tell you more than that."

It was a classic business answer: reassuring yet realistic, optimistic but blunt—yet more informative to Masumi than it might let on. She could tell from Himika's tone of voice that nothing had been done at all to save everyone who'd been sealed in cards—or perhaps that nothing _could_ be done, at least for the moment. That feeling of powerlessness ate away at Masumi's insides like acid—here she was, one of the most acclaimed students in the history of this Duel School … and unable to do a damn thing to help out her friend.

"Initiate interface with workstation 13-12."

Masumi snapped out of her reverie at Himika's words. The chairwoman was giving Masumi an odd look indeed. There was nothing icy about her eyes anymore; now, behind those light blue eyes burned an unquenchable flame. The Fusion user had seen Himika like this only once before, in her failed attempt to annex You Show. She'd been so determined to salvage the reputation of LDS that day that she would not allow any earthly force to stop her from getting what she wanted. Only her son's forfeit had allowed the school—and Yuuya—to walk free.

Masumi was seeing that same determination in Himika's eyes right now. The chairwoman nodded back at her—only slightly—but enough for her to take her meaning. She wasn't going to let this go lightly either.

 _She cares about Hokuto and Marco, too_.

The screen beeped, and Himika wasted no time in dictating, "Begin terminal echo on recent browser history, authorization: Himika, Akaba; BBB; seven-two-two-six-three, twenty-two, twenty-three, two. Execute."

"Voiceprint confirmed," an electronic voice responded from the computer. "Terminal echo in progress."

As the computer worked her request, Masumi found her voice at last. "Why?" she asked. "Why help me with this?"

Himika pursed her lips. "The Duel Monster database is somewhat more … extensive than LDS would like to let on to the general student body at this time," she said. "Over the past week, the Leo Corporation has been analyzing footage of the cards and monsters used by the invaders. They have been studying the effects and statistics of these cards in the hope of providing a more effective defense, should they decide to invade us once again."

Masumi said nothing, though she had to admire the fast response of the Akaba family. Forthcoming they were not, but she had the distinct impression that they had planned for every contingency in the wake of this invasion.

The computer beeped at that moment, and Himika stroked a finger along her screen. Masumi could see her highlighting a section of text as the touch sensors inside the machine registered. "Copy selected word string and run search," Himika said.

The screen chirped in reply almost as soon as the words had left her mouth. "Search complete," the synthetic voice stated. "Matches for parameter _Egrysta_ : Zero."

Masumi bit her lip. So that Fusion Monster was nowhere to be found in the database. This did not entirely comfort her; it was possible the name might have been spelled wrong in her initial search. There was still a possibility that—

"Matches for parameter _Midrash_ : Zero."

 _Another one_ , Masumi thought. This time, she was sure she'd spelled the name right. Slowly, she felt the sense of panic that had been building inside her begin to subside. Maybe she'd been overreacting after all. She sighed.

But a moment later ... "Matches for parameter _Shaddoll_ : One."

 _What?!_ It felt as though a hammer had been swung right into Masumi's chest. _It was in the database all along?!_

"Display." Himika's request was given so forcefully that it felt more like an order.

A new window opened up on the screen. Masumi could make neither heads nor tails of what the charts on it appeared to show, but the abundance of blank space on the rest of the page was deeply concerning.

" _Shaddoll_ ," announced the computer. "Composition and strategies: Unknown. Summoning method: Unknown. Confirmed user or users: Unknown."

Masumi felt the confusion redouble in her mind. Her head was beginning to ache; this was too much for her to bear. An entire section of the _Duel Monsters_ database had been classified— _but with nothing inside it_. No names, no tactics, _nothing_ to suggest it existed besides the fact that it was right before their eyes.

 _What the_ hell _is going on?_

"Hmm." Himika, for her part, had remained calm and collected through the revelation. But her tone of voice was anything but: the chairwoman sounded two seconds away from making sure that many, _many_ heads rolled for this. Masumi's hand involuntarily moved to her neck.

"It would seem our database is _woefully_ incomplete," hissed Himika through her teeth. Her eyes flicked to Masumi. "You claim this is a Fusion Deck?" she demanded.

"Um … yes," Masumi replied. "And I didn't just add that entry, if that's what you're thinking," she hastily added, hoping that would save her own head from rolling off her neck any time soon.

Himika's eyes narrowed. " _If_ the thought had occurred to me," she said coldly, "I can assure you we would be having a _completely_ different conversation—and your standing at this school would be in _very_ serious trouble. Attempting to access restricted files is one thing. Attempting to _alter_ them … that's an entirely different matter."

Masumi's heart nearly stopped, and a cold sweat suddenly broke on her neck. _Surely she's not accusing me of—!_

But she need not have worried; a moment later, the edges of Himika's mouth had curled upwards in a rare smile. "Don't worry, Masumi, I'm not going to punish you for this," she said. "I believe you—and I know you weren't aware of the possible consequences of your actions. Most of all, I really do think your heart's in the right place."

Masumi let out a shaky breath, relieved beyond belief that her blunder hadn't resulted in any disciplinary action.

"That having been said, I want you to consider this a friendly warning," Himika said, the smile now gone from her face. "Anything that took place inside this office today never happened. As far as you should be concerned, neither of us was ever here. I need hardly say that you are not to share what you've learned today with _anyone_ … do I?"

Masumi swallowed. This was a big secret Himika was asking her to keep—and she doubted she'd be able to keep it for very long, if these dreams of hers persisted. But for the moment, it appeared her options were limited.

She nodded. "Very good," Himika said. "Now unless you have anything else to tell me, I suggest you leave well enough alone, and enjoy the remainder of your break from classes."

A pause. Then, "Hokuto and Professor Marco are in good hands. Good afternoon."

Masumi knew there was no point in remaining any longer. Audiences with the chairwoman of LDS, no matter their purpose, ended on her terms alone. With a brief nod, she bade Himika goodbye, and strode out of her office, doing her absolute best to rein in the raging storm that was beginning to blow in her mind.

* * *

Those best efforts only lasted for less than a minute. As the elevator doors closed behind her, Masumi expelled a shaky breath, letting the full implications of her discovery crash to the floor of the lift.

The _Shaddolls_ —whatever they were—were more than just fiction. To at least one other person in the world, they were real; Masumi was no longer the only person who believed they existed. And this one other person … _but is that even possible?_ she wondered. Even _considering_ the likelihood of such an event felt like a total denial of basic logic and all laws of reality.

But Masumi was no longer sure of what was likely anymore. In a matter of hours, the safety and security of her own little world had been turned on its head. She now felt more scared than ever before—including during the aftermath of Maiami City's invasion.

As the Fusion Duelist exited the Leo Duel School, and slowly made her way back home, only one thought now occupied her mind: _had her Duel with the Shadow truly been_ real?

* * *

Meanwhile, Akaba Himika remained seated at her desk, frowning at her computer screen. The flames that blazed in her eyes lingered still, but their natural coldness was beginning to reassert its dominance. Her gaze now held an equal amount of fire and ice, and woe betide anyone unlucky enough to be caught in its path.

She sniffed. "Access edit history of database entry _Shaddoll_ ," she requested. "Identify all IP addresses and cross-reference results with the employee databases of LDS _and_ the Leo Corporation."

The screen flashed. Lines of text cascaded down the page like a digital waterfall—until a sudden beep from the workstation and a message bubble interrupted the process. Himika stared at the message with narrowed eyes:

 **ERROR: Unable to execute command.**

 **Cannot establish connection to the specified page.**

The flames in her eyes intensified. "Access the edit history of this file," Himika demanded, raising her voice for the first time all day. "Authorization Himika, Akaba; BBB—!"

But a second, identical beeping noise interrupted her:

 **ERROR: Unable to execute command.**

 **Cannot establish connection to the specified page.**

Himika grit her teeth, _just barely_ managing to avoid pounding her fist on the table. "It isn't letting me access," she said softly, her voice governed by a thinly laced fury. Well, she thought, there were _methods_ to deal with this.

She punched a switch on the edge of her desk. "Yes, Akaba- _san_?" the voice of her secretary promptly replied.

Himika arched her fingers in a steeple under her chin. "Contact our directors of system security and human resources. I want them both before my desk within the hour," she ordered. "We may have a problem."

* * *

 **A/N: Well that got done a lot quicker than I thought it would be. It certainly leaves me with more time to work on the next bit of** ** _Rain's Hand_** **, which is always nice. I think I'm starting to get back to my old self.**

 **I'm tempted to find out if I can release one chapter every week—every other update for a different story. I don't think that's something I'd be able to sustain for very long, especially since a lot of planning will be in order for later chapters on both projects I'm currently working on, but it'll be fun to try regardless.**

 **Thanks for reading! - K**


	4. IV

IV

Masumi's father wasn't at home by the time she returned. A note on the table revealed the reason why:

 _Called in early to examine another shipment—will be back tonight. Hope your appointment went well—tell me all about it later!_

The note received only a shrug from its reader; Masumi hadn't been planning to come along for work anyway. As much as she normally enjoyed working with her father, sometimes she just had too much homework for that to be possible. Not that she minded; she'd long known that when the house was this empty, it was traditionally the best, quietest environment for her to complete her homework. And she had a lot of it to complete today.

She stayed in the kitchen long enough to fix herself lunch and some snacks, then rummaged around in the cupboard for a ream of paper. These she took to her bedroom (which, thankfully, did not stink of her sweat anymore) before sitting down at her desk and staring at them.

It was unlike any homework Masumi had ever been assigned, in her regular schoolwork as well as at LDS. This was not simply because it was usually assigned online these days—nor even because she had, in a sense, assigned it to herself. Masumi had also learned how to devise counters to decks before, too. Her homework for the Advantage and Disadvantage courses Professor Marco had taught her the previous year had practically been nothing _but_.

The problem, however, was countering Decks she didn't even know existed until recently.

One of the first courses Masumi had taken at LDS dealt with the basics of Dueling tactics. Within this had been a section on what was termed the _metagame_ : the use of out-of-game information or resources to affect decisions made in the game, so read the description in her book. Dueling, she knew, was not by any means a static sport—indeed, no sport could be static, else it would get boring. If that ever happened, rules would have to be changed, and players would have to adapt to those changes.

In the case of _Duel Monsters_ , these changes first came about after certain cards invariably proved to be so powerful that every Duelist started using them, and shortly thereafter, they would be restricted or even banned in official play. This laid ground for a number of decks that were popularly termed "toolboxes", whose only distinct mechanic was their ability to have an answer to just about every challenge the opponent could muster. But as LDS grew to be the power it was today, and Extra Deck Summoning became more recognized, these "toolboxes" had slowly faded from competitive play—for which Masumi was quite thankful.

The _Shaddolls_ Masumi had faced certainly fit half that description—however brief her Duel with the Shadow might have been, Masumi had found no answers to that Deck. That didn't mean it was just one more "toolbox", though; it had to have a weakness.

The question was, how to exploit it?

Masumi's brain began to visualize another rough, unrefined rock on the desk before her, where the sheet of paper had once been. She drew a line down the middle of the paper, creating two columns—one labeled _je_ , the other _shi_.

Then, slowly but surely, she began to write.

 _Grind out the preform_.

The _Gem-Knights_ she Dueled with showcased her proficiency in Fusion Summoning—no other Deck came close. ( _Strengths: many ways to Fusion Summon_ , she scrawled) From there, Masumi's usual strategy in a Duel was twofold: classic beat-down by way of her Fusion Monsters while keeping her Graveyard stocked with a healthy supply of the _Gem-Knights_ used to Summon said Fusion Monsters. These she could banish to fulfill certain effects ( _hello,_ Gem-Knight Master Dia) for performing yet more Fusions ( _Gem-Knight Fusion: many Fusions per turn_ ), or simply have them stay in the Graveyard to power up her monsters ( _hello,_ very big Gem-Knight Master Dia). Certain cards in Masumi's Deck could extract monsters regardless of whether they were destroyed, banished, or still in her Deck ( _Amber_ \+ _Iola_ \+ _Sanyx, if all pieces in place_ ), allowing her to Fusion Summon almost indefinitely. In theory.

Of course, seeing monsters that had incredible physical power was part and parcel of the game. In the event one of those monsters was staring down one of her Gem-Knights, Masumi had several monsters to hand that could tilt the field advantage in her favor. She didn't use them often, though—primarily because she hadn't needed to. Her beat-down strategy often worked so quickly and efficiently that she rarely needed to use other tactics to win a Duel.

Here she sectioned off a portion of blank space; it would do to examine these alternate strategies.

 _Sand away the edges_.

Now to look at these _Shaddolls_ ; who also used Fusion Summoning, though to what extent was unknown to Masumi ( _Strengths: Fuse from field, hand during any turn_ , she did note). The Shadow's Main Deck appeared to utilize a Destruction strategy—that is, the _Shaddolls_ had effects that activated when they were sent to the Graveyard via card effect (Gem-Knights _with destruction effects?_ Masumi wrote here, _maybe_ Prism Aura _; must check_ ). This played right into the Fusion Summoning method, as she had discovered, though she could not be certain as to what end. Deliberately destroying one's own Deck was not unheard of, but it was risky; Masumi was well aware that plenty of Duelists had lost by default on account of having no cards left in their Deck to draw.

Annoyingly, she had no idea what the effects of the Shadow's Fusion Monsters themselves were ( _try to last long enough this time to find out!_ )—only that they packed a punch that hit a lot harder than their point gauges hinted at. Still, Masumi had a suspicion that the Flip Monsters were one of the main threats to the Deck ( _effect sends_ Lizard = Lizard _sends_ Falcon = Falcon _Special Sets_ = Falcon _flips = Special Sets any_ Shaddoll), while the other lay in that one card of the Shadow's that could both send a _Shaddoll_ to its Graveyard and flip all its Set monsters face-up.

 _Lap at the surface_.

Between the destruction effects, the Flip effects, and the cards that could trigger them both, Masumi had to admit these _Shaddolls_ formed a very nasty Deck. She had to assume it ultimately revolved around a standard disruption strategy, while at the same time enabling continuous Fusion Summons. At least, that was what Masumi presumed; what other reason was there for using more than one _Fusion_ card?

She groaned. It was a lot easier to counter Decks with a computer to hand, she thought. But thanks to the unknown force that had classified the _Shaddolls_ inside the Duel Monsters database, she didn't have that luxury.

Worse still, Masumi _still_ had much too little information on them to form any respectable counterstrategy. It looked more likely that she'd need to find out more about this Deck from the Shadow that used it. For now, she'd have to limit the Shadow's chances of leaving her field vulnerable—either by stopping its monsters' effects from activating, or swarming her own field at a rate beyond what the Shadow could destroy. The first option was discarded almost immediately; Masumi had a few monsters in her Deck capable of disrupting her opponent's field, but only a few—and getting them out would require having the right cards in her hand. The swarming option wouldn't work very well, either, without the right amount of draw power—something Masumi had very little of in her deck.

The Fusion Duelist sighed, leaned back in her chair while she massaged her aching wrist. "I've got to be missing something here," she murmured. "What else can I do to beat this thing?"

Suddenly, Masumi let fly with a massive yawn that nearly unhinged her jaw. A quick check of the clock on her nightstand sent her eyebrows into her hair—it was already three o'clock! Had she really been sitting here planning ever since lunchtime? She had been up for the past twelve hours—maybe it was time she needed a nap.

 _Not yet_ , she thought. Some part of her felt as if she was close to a breakthrough. If she gave up now—even for a moment's rest—

 _But you need that rest_ , said another, perhaps more rational part of her body. _Going so long without sleep at your age is going to hurt you_.

Masumi's eyelids felt very heavy all of a sudden. Her eyes were becoming unfocused; the edges of the paper on her desk were fuzzy, and the characters she'd scrawled upon them were almost gone.

 _Maybe you're right_ , she told herself. _It isn't healthy to stay awake for so long when I'm so young. I need to think about my ..._

 _… my health._

…

Masumi sat bolt upright in her chair, fatigue completely forgotten. _How could I have missed it?_

" … Health," she murmured. "Health. That's it! That has to be the answer!"

She fished out her Duel Disk, and ejected every last card from it—both her Main Deck and her Extra Deck. One by one, Masumi laid every single card out on the desk where she could see them. In less than a minute, she found the cards she was looking for.

 _Polish for good measure_.

…

 _Et voilà._

Masumi felt a smile on her face. The more she looked at those cards, the more it began to make sense. _I can do this_ , she thought. I know how I can beat the Shadow!

She reached for another sheet of paper, quickly scrawling out a complicated series of diagrams. It was crumpled up and binned within minutes, but was just as quickly replaced by another, equally complex flowchart. This, too, was swiftly discarded with a grunt—but Masumi was not about to be sidetracked by failure again. She _knew_ that what she was doing had the potential to succeed this time. How, she was not certain—but she had the very strange suspicion that she'd achieved it once before. Recently, too …

But that was something she could think about later, Masumi thought as she balled up yet another pair of failed plans, tossing them in the bin. She could feel it in her bones … she was close to a breakthrough …

* * *

Masumi's father came home later that evening with one of the weariest expressions he felt like he'd ever worn. "What a day … " he muttered. "Masumi?"

No response. The house was as quiet as he'd ever heard it.

"Masumi?"

But again there was nothing. He went into the dining room, where he found the kitchen and the table as clear as when he'd left it. His note was in a different spot from where he'd first put it, though—so Masumi had definitely come back after he'd left for work.

He glanced down the hallway, and saw a silver of light coming from under his daughter's bedroom door. _Well, that's one question answered_. He reached the door, knocking on it softly. "Masumi?"

Silence. Frowning, he knocked once again, a bit harder this time. "Masumi, I'm coming in."

He cracked open the door—and within seconds knew why Masumi had failed to acknowledge him. His daughter was at her desk, slumped in her chair and faintly snoring, using a small mountain of wadded-up paper as a makeshift pillow. By the looks of things, she'd been this way for at least an hour.

As Masumi's father approached her, his eyes fell on another sheet of paper, almost black with ink on account of the massive number of diagrams that had been written upon it. He'd never been a Duelist at all, so he could not make heads from tails of any of these. He did, however, recognize Masumi's _Gem-Knights_ , scattered all over the desk, mostly hidden beneath a veritable avalanche of crumpled-up paper.

He couldn't help but shake his head. _Oh, dear_ , he sighed wistfully. _It's like kindergarten all over again_.

Turning to her bed, he smoothed the covers; Masumi could properly make her bed later on. Then, with some difficulty ( _those days had been so long ago_ , he lamented), he scooped his daughter up, gently depositing her on the bed. The teenager barely even stirred.

Her father watched her slumber for a moment longer, then set about cleaning up some of the mess on Masumi's desk. "I hope you sleep better this time around," he murmured as he collected her cards, arranging them into a neat pile. Once he was done, he shut off the light and quietly closed her bedroom door.

Through it all, Masumi continued to sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at LDS, Akaba Himika continued to stew in her consternation as she punched in a secure line. The directors of human resources and system security had been most unhelpful in solving her problem from earlier today. The problems apparently lay in the coding of the database, not in her ability to access it—meaning a potential fix to the solution was going to take much, much longer than she had any patience for.

Himika had told them in no uncertain terms to get it fixed in twenty-four hours—or to get a new job by then, and the _best of luck_ to them in that respect, she'd added with a grim look that had sent both men scurrying for the elevator.

Something else, however, had begun to bother her—namely, Masumi's claim of this being a Fusion Deck.

A translucent screen suddenly expanded into being above her desk, revealing a burly man wearing gold-framed sunglasses and a black three-piece suit. The images of vast computer screens filled the background.

"Yes, Himika- _san_?"

"Nakajima, have any anomalous energy readings been detected recently?" inquired the LDS chairwoman.

"Of Fusion Summoning?" Nakajima peered away, barking his superior's question to someone off-screen. A moment later: "No, ma'am. Nothing of note reported since the incursion last week. Why?"

Himika hesitated—though not for long. "Never mind. Have the search teams widen their scans and compile reports every hour, on the hour. I want those on my desk first thing in the morning. I'll be retiring for the night."

"Understood, Himika- _san_. I'll have the car ready in ten minutes." Nakajima pressed an unseen switch, and the screen shrank into nothingness, leaving behind an increasingly frustrated chairwoman. More questions than ever were staring her in the face, and once again, she'd been dealt a setback in her quest to answer them.

 _I don't know who you think you are,_ she thought with a venomous glare at the screen, _but you are making my life_ very _difficult. And I don't care what my son would say. If I find you—and I will—I will make_ your _life a living_ hell.

* * *

For the second time in as many nights, the only sounds Koutsu Masumi could hear were her own ragged breath and her own thudding heartbeat.

It felt even colder here in this illusory, crumbling shell of Maiami City than it had before. How that was possible, she did not know, but considering where she was, the idea of _possibility_ likely no longer applied in this situation.

She hugged herself tighter as she began to walk down the street.

Almost immediately, Masumi could tell that this dream was different from what it was last time. Passersby still ran across the street, frozen in midair amidst flowers of the same sinister amethyst light that sealed them away. But these people were more easily recognizable; several of them Masumi recognized as Akaba Reiji's so-called Lancers.

The shadowy birds that slowly wheeled and called above her were no longer creatures of darkness; there was a _form_ to them this time—purplish-blue, blade-like feathers, with golden beaks and glinting eyes. Thin strings of violet light branched off from several feathers, arcing into the sky, disappearing from sight amongst the mile-long contrails that dominated the sky. The birds flittered about Masumi as she walked on, but none ever touched her. Even when they passed close by, she never felt a breeze; she wondered idly if they were even real.

But the main reason why she knew her dream had changed was the fact that she was walking much quicker than last time. Back then, Masumi had been guided to her destination on an invisible leash. This was no longer the case; she was going there on her own free will …

The alley was easy to find the next time around. There was no sign it had been destroyed at all—it seemed to have rebuilt itself in a trice within this world of illusion. The graffiti that caked the walls yet remained; the last remnant of millions of souls, each dying to make their own mark on the wall, and each mark telling their own unique story.

But as Masumi walked up the alley these only had eyes for one particular mark—the one at the T-junction she now approached, where no other marks dared to intrude. Sure enough, there it was, amidst the sole blank space of brick wall in the entire alley:

 **MÆTH**

Masumi pulled back from the vandalized wall, perplexed. The first Æ had been smudged away like charcoal; an imprint of the character still remained on the bare brick, but nothing else. _So this part is different now, too_ , she thought— _no more_ æmæth. _No more truth … only_ death _._

Why did that make her so uneasy?

 _Distort the word, take away its meaning … and you will cease to exist …_

Masumi felt the hairs on the back of her neck beginning to rise. Some sixth sense had triggered in her mind—she was not alone.

"Is that you?" she asked, her throat suddenly feeling very dry. She had to lick her lips every few seconds; the moisture on her lips kept evaporating with every breath she took of the freezing air. "Where are you?"

 _You already know_ , said the familiar voice in her mind, genderless and malicious—but Masumi was not having it this time. "Stop playing games with me!" she yelled. "Tell me where you are so I can Duel you and _end this!_ "

 _So eager_ , the Shadow purred, _to fight a force that you cannot possibly hope to defeat. I am_ everywhere _, Koutsu Masumi. Everything I am is all around you. Every building destroyed, every person sealed … every cry for help sent to the sky_ defines me. _As long as you are here, I am God_.

A pause. _But if you desire it, I will come to you, and grant your request._

Masumi spun around as soon as she heard the noise. It was a quiet noise, however—barely even a whisper of wind. In the utter silence of the ruined city, though, that whisper was like a bomb blast.

She did her absolute best to maintain her composure as the shadowy flames that had quite suddenly appeared behind her flared up into a pillar of burning darkness. The pillar shrank and divided at its diameter, before sprouting two thin tongues of dark fire at its peak that solidified into arms.

One of these arms now disgorged the same purple Duel Disk from before, and the same dark blue blade activated with a hiss like an angry snake.

"Let me ask you something," Masumi said as she copied the Shadow's movements, fixing her own Duel Disk onto her wrist. "Is all this"—she swept an arm around her, indicating the decaying city—"going to happen to my home? Was that the _truth_ you beat into me the last time we met? That everyone who lives in this city is going to suffer and _die_ because of you?!"

"It doesn't have to be that way." The mouthless, eyeless face of the entity leered at her. "You can stop your city from being destroyed, and everyone who calls it home will call you its hero."

Its voice grew cold. "But can you really call yourself the savior of an entire city … when you couldn't even save your friend?"

Masumi grit her teeth in fury—that Shadow had just crossed a line, big-time. "I'm going to make you regret you ever said that!" she growled, hefting her Duel Disk at chest height. "DUEL!"

The screen of her disk blinked on, displaying the state of the Duel to come as both players drew five cards with a flourish.

"I'm taking the first turn!" Masumi shouted. "I won't give you any advantage this time!"

"As you wish," responded the Shadow coldly. "But a word of warning to you: if you are not going to hold back this time around … then neither will I."

Masumi spared a moment to snarl defiantly back at it before inspecting her opening hand—and barely stifling a triumphant smirk. This was exactly the opening hand she'd planned out in her strategy—every card she needed was right here to a one.

"I'll activate the Spell Card _Gem-Knight Fusion!_ " she declared, swiping the cornerstone of her Deck on the screen. "With this, I can fuse _Gem-Knight_ monsters in my hand or on my field to perform a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse _Gem-Knight Lapis_ and _Gem-Knight Lazuli_ from my hand!"

Two small _Gem-Knights_ appeared either side of her—small only alongside their companions; both armored figures stood a little more than half as high again as Masumi. They jumped backward a second later, right into the waiting vortex of color that shined behind Masumi as she proclaimed:

 **"The blue and green stones that hide mysterious power—now, become light and appear!"**

 **"Fusion Summon! Level 5!** ** _Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli!_** **"**

A tall, ivory-skinned female clad in flowing blue robes descended from the churning light show, alighting upon the road with barely a sound as a point gauge appeared alongside it (Level 5: _ATK 2400_ /DEF 1000).

But Masumi hadn't even begun to enact her strategy. " _Gem-Knight Lazuli's_ effect activates!" she declared. "When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can target a Normal Monster in my Graveyard, and return it to my hand! I'll return my _Gem-Knight Lapis!_ "

The monster in question was quickly extracted from her Graveyard slot. "Now for _Gem-Knight Fusion's_ effect! By banishing a _Gem-Knight_ monster from my Graveyard, I can return it from my Graveyard back to my hand! I'll banish _Gem-Knight Lazuli_!" Her favorite Spell Card was now ejected, and snatched back into her hand.

"And now, I'll play _Gem-Knight Fusion_ a second time!" Masumi smirked. "This time, I'll fuse my _Gem-Knight Alexand_ , _Gem-Knight Emeral_ , and _Gem-Knight Lapis_ for _another_ Fusion Summon!"

Three knights this time—her bright green _Emeral_ and another knight in silver-gray armor, both flanking her _Lapis_ from before—rose into the air, drifting into a whirlpool much bigger and brighter than its predecessor.

 **"Gem with facets of day and night!"** chanted Masumi. **"Brilliant emerald of good fortune! Become one with the blue stone and create a new light!"**

 **"** ** _Fusion Summon!_** **One who illuminates everything with its supreme radiance!** ** _Gem-Knight Master Dia!_** **"**

A massive warrior in gleaming plate armor, more than three times her height, plummeted from the vortex with the speed of a fallen star, its armored boots cracking the pavement beneath it from the force of the impact alone (Level 9: _ATK 2900_ /DEF 2500). The massive broadsword it carried was as wide as Masumi from shoulder to shoulder, and each of the gems that studded its blade was as wide as her hand.

 _Everything's all in place_ , Masumi thought. "First, _Gem-Knight Master Dia's_ effect!" she called out. "For each _Gem-_ monster in my Graveyard— _Alexand_ , _Emeral_ , and _Lapis_ —it gains 100 ATK!" The platter-sized diamond in the giant's breastplate glowed with blinding light as its ATK gauge climbed to 3200.

"Next," said Masumi, "I activate _Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli's_ effect! By sending another _Lapis Lazuli_ from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard, I can deal 100 damage to you for every Extra Deck monster on the field—plus damage equal to half of _Lapis Lazuli's_ ATK!"

The Shadow tensed. Masumi's smirk widened—she knew it had done the math in its faceless head, and realized what was about to happen. "That's right—1400 points of damage! _Take it all!_ "

 _Lapis Lazuli_ brought her hands together. A glowing sphere of energy blossomed in her palms, growing to the size of a football. With a mighty heave, it was blasted at the Shadow, exploding at its feet and sending shockwaves throughout the alleyway.

Masumi didn't even wait for her opponent's LP gauge to finish dropping to 2600. "Now for _Master Dia's_ effect!" she cried. "Once per turn, I can banish a Level 7 or lower _Gem-Knight_ from my Graveyard to have _Master Dia_ gain its effects until the end of the turn! I banish 1 _Lapis Lazuli_ in my Graveyard to transfer its effect to my _Master Dia_!"

The gigantic knight shifted its footing, hefting its huge blade in an attack stance. "Now I'll activate _Master Dia's_ new effect!" declared Masumi. "I send my final _Lapis Lazuli_ to my Graveyard to deal 100 damage for every Extra Deck monster on the field—plus half of _Master Dia's_ ATK!

"That's 1850 points of damage this time— _take it all!_ " Masumi screamed again. "Take it all, you _bastard!_ "

The gauge above _Master Dia_ was briefly shown shifting to 3300 as the knight swung a long, sweeping strike with its blade. A glowing shockwave radiated from its length, cleaving the street in two as it rushed for Masumi's opponent. The blast of energy exploded with the force of a small bomb as it impacted its target, blowing out windows and neon signs everywhere and reducing the Shadow's LP to a mere 750.

Masumi regarded the point gauge with no small amount of satisfaction. "I end my turn with _that_ ," she said smugly.

Her strategy had worked flawlessly. Not only had she established a much better field than her last Duel, but she'd also given herself a major advantage in LP. The Shadow was on the back foot after only a single turn; Masumi had to wonder if it knew just how much trouble it was in.

 _That'll teach this Shadow to insult my_ friend.

She could beat it now—she was certain of it. If she drew a _Gem-Knight_ next turn, she could return her _Gem-Knight Fusion_ to her hand and use _Lapis Lazuli_ as a Fusion Material. Exactly _what_ Masumi would Fusion Summon would depend on the Type of monster she drew—but with the advantage she had now, just about any monster would work.

She watched the dust clear from around the Shadow—and was somewhat surprised to see that it had not budged one bit. In hindsight, perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised at all; an entity of pure flame was certainly much more resistant than a normal Duelist.

What was rather more surprising, however, was the thin, icy laughter that emanated from its unseen mouth, echoing throughout the alleyway. There was no hint of malice to it—and somehow, that made the Shadow's sudden show of mirth _much_ more frightening to Masumi.

"Now _that's_ more like it," it chuckled as it stared her down with unseen eyes. " _That's_ the Fusion Summoning I wanted to see from you, Koutsu Masumi. I _knew_ from the start that you were someone to keep an eye on for sure!"

Masumi's smug look faded a little. "What do you mean by that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said the Shadow. "You claimed in our last Duel that no one in LDS knew more about Fusion Summoning than you did—that no one school knew more about it than LDS, even. Did you stop to think that someone might notice your incredible Summoning potential, and come to desire it for their own benefit?"

Masumi stared at the Shadow. _Someone who wants my Summoning potential …_

When it hit her, it felt like a strike from _Master Dia's_ blade. "Are you saying you're one of those people who attacked the Maiami Championship?" she gasped. "Then I was right! You aren't just a dream— _you're real!_ "

"'Real' is relative," said the Shadow. "And before one of us says something you'll regret, I never attacked _anyone_. I'm only a simple go-between—a _connection_ between two fixed points that have a _vested interest_ in one another."

Masumi leveled the most venomous stare she could muster at the Shadow. "Not. Interested." _As if I would become one of the same people that destroyed lives in_ my _city,_ she thought _—and robbed me of my best friend!_

The flames that wrapped around the entity fluttered slightly as it heaved a sigh. "If you insist," it said. "And here I thought you wanted to know more about the Shadow in your mind. I was even looking forward to telling you my name—or at least, one of them."

 _What?!_ "Tell me who you are," Masumi growled. "Tell me now, or I'm cancelling this Duel!"

"Oh, I don't think you want to do that," the Shadow said calmly. "If you knew what was at stake here, you'd Duel as if your life depended on it. Still … you've impressed me enough that I think you deserve to know _some_ things."

Masumi bit her lip. "You swear you're going to tell me the truth?"

The Shadow drew itself up to its full height. "I prefer to think of it more as 'advice' than 'truth'," it replied. "As far as the _truth_ is concerned … for the time being, you may call me _Ito_."

 _Ito_. Masumi locked up the name in her mind, sensing the parallels of the moniker even as she committed it to memory. _Ito … 'thread'._

"And … the advice?" she asked warily.

Ito chuckled coldly again. "Count the shadows," he merely said. "As soon as you see the third shadow, you'll know you've lost this Duel."

Masumi drew back, annoyed. "I never said it would be _friendly_ advice," Ito said in reply, drawing a card from his Deck. "Now, I believe it's _my_ turn."

Masumi braced herself as Ito slowly added the card to its hand—something in its body language wasn't sitting well with her. "Let me guess," she said. "You just drew that _Shaddoll Fusion_ card, didn't you? Now you're going to use it to fuse two more _Shaddolls_ in your hand to bring out a nasty Fusion Monster. Does that sound about right?"

Ito laughed again as Masumi folded her arms. "Oh, you were _so_ close," the entity said with mocking pity. "And to think you were doing so well. Observe.

"I activate the Spell Card: _Shaddoll Fusion!_ " declared Ito as it swiped the card on its Duel Disk. "With this card, I can fuse monsters in my hand or on my field to Fusion Summon a _Shaddoll_ monster!"

It paused. " _Normally_."

Masumi bit her lip apprehensively. Ito's voice had just dropped a number of octaves, and a greater number of degrees as well. The single word felt like a spear of ice through her heart.

"If my opponent controls an Extra Deck monster, however," Ito went on, "I can fuse monsters in my _Deck_ as well!"

Masumi's jaw dropped. _Deck Fusion?!_ That wasn't the reason she was so surprised; Deck Fusion, while certainly uncommon, was a method of Fusion she had at her disposal. What was more shocking was that the last time Ito had played that card, Masumi remembered she'd controlled _Gem-Knight Aquamarine_ —an Extra Deck monster —at the time, which meant he could have fused from the Deck then—

The penny dropped. _That bastard_ , she thought. _He was_ toying _with me that whole entire Duel!_

"I fuse my _Shaddoll Lizard_ and my _Shaddoll Hedgehog_ from my Deck!" Ito continued, before beginning to chant:

 **"Dark threads of the otherworld, bind the** _ **shadows**_ **to your will!** _ **Fusion Summon!**_ _ **"**_

Masumi saw the sinister, familiar vortex forming above Ito, and took an unconscious step backward. _Here it comes_ _._

 **"Extinguish the light of hope in the hearts of men! Rise now,** _ **El Shaddoll Midrash!**_ **"**

The all-too-familiar form of the solid black dragon materialized before Masumi (Level 5: _ATK 2200_ /DEF 800)—except it was no longer solid black. The monster now hovering before her was a large marionette carved in the likeness of a bluish-purple dragon. Large, protuberant eyes stared down at an unsettled Masumi, while a golden beak snapped at the air. Glowing strings bound the dragon's four clawed limbs, reaching off into infinity.

Even as Masumi watched, a column of fire erupted on _Midrash's_ back; a second later, Ito was there, standing atop the monster as though _Midrash_ were its loyal steed. More strings linked up with the flaming entity, bound to whatever unseen master controlled the threads from on high.

" _Shaddoll Lizard's_ effect activates!" Ito shouted. "When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can send another _Shaddoll_ monster from my Deck to the Graveyard! I choose to send _Shaddoll Beast!_ "

Masumi bit her lip. Here was the destruction strategy she'd attempted to formulate a response to. But without knowing to what end Ito kept sending all his monsters to the Graveyard for—save for Fusion Summoning one monster after another—that strategy could not be fully realized.

" _Shaddoll Beast's_ effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can draw a card!" Ito swiped its topmost card with a flourish that sent a blast of cold air throughout the alleyway. "Finally, _Shaddoll Hedgehog's_ effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can add a _Shaddoll_ monster from my Deck to my hand!" A single card jutted out from Ito's deck, and was snatched up moments later.

"And would you look at that," the entity said smugly. "That makes three shadows already."

Masumi immediately tensed. She remembered what Ito had said earlier about three shadows meaning she'd lost the Duel. But she'd never seen any shadows forming at all. Had Ito been misdirecting her?

"Confused, are you?" laughed Ito. "Look closely at those _Gem-Knight_ monsters of yours."

Masumi's eyes immediately flickered to _Lapis Lazuli_ and _Master Dia_ , looking them over meticulously, drinking in their appearance. But she saw nothing out of the ordinary with them—until she noticed their feet.

Or rather, what was spreading out _from_ their feet.

"Exactly," Ito smirked. "Casting that many shadows in so little light shouldn't be possible … should it?"

Masumi stared, confounded, at the three shadows that had most definitely _not_ been cast by any of her monsters a minute ago. Each shadow turned the ground beneath it a darker black than any normal shadow had a right to be—and were her eyes playing tricks on her, or were they actually moving independently of their sources?

The Fusion Duelist couldn't resist a gulp—she had a very bad feeling about this.

"Now, then. One Fusion Duelist to another, I think you're _really_ going to appreciate this," Ito chuckled evilly. "First, I activate the Equip Spell: _Scroll of Bewitchment_! This lets me change the Attribute of the equipped monster to whichever Attribute I declare!"

Masumi raised her eyebrow, confused.

"I declare the Attribute of FIRE, and I equip this card to … _Gem-Knight Master Dia!_ "

Masumi tilted her head, even more confused. _What the hell is Ito planning?_ she wondered, as _Master Dia_ began to glow with a warm orange aura. _Equipping my own monster with a card that does basically nothing whatsoever?_

"Next, I activate the Spell Card: _Fusion!_ " Ito went on, swiping a second card onto its Duel Disk. "I can fuse monsters in my hand or on the field to perform a Fusion Summon!

"But before I do _that_ ," the entity said, "I think there's something else you need to know. Those aren't ordinary shadows your monsters are casting … they're _counters_ designed specifically for a very unique card of mine."

Something shifted within the flames that made up Ito's head; it looked disturbingly like a smile. "Field Spell: **_Cursed Shadow's Snare!_** "

Masumi's jaw dropped. _A Field Spell?! But I never saw—!_

"It's been active ever since our battle began." Ito had answered her question so quickly that the entity had to have been reading her mind. "When you initiated the Duel between us, it automatically initiated as part of a subroutine programmed into my Duel Disk. No, don't bother looking for any Action Cards," it added as a stunned Masumi looked around the alleyway. "This isn't an Action Field—just an ordinary Field for a not-so-ordinary Duel."

"But … but how is any part of what you did even _legal?_ " the Fusion user protested, finally finding her voice.

Ito scoffed at her. "Have you forgotten _where we are?_ " it sneered at her. "Nothing is illegal in a _dream_ , little girl.

"Now, then—the first effect of _Cursed Shadow's Snare!_ " explained the entity. "Whenever a card effect would send a _Shaddoll_ monster to my Graveyard, I can place a counter on this Field for each sent monster! So far, three monsters have been sent to my Graveyard so, which means—"

"—three shadows," Masumi finished for him, realizing what was going on. So that was why Ito always kept on sending monsters to his Graveyard—to power up this Field Spell, presumably to boost the physical strength of his monsters. Most Field Spells had worked that way in an older age of Dueling, before Action Duels and the cards unique to them created new, more varied ways to increase a monster's power.

"The _second_ effect of my _Snare_ ," said Ito. "Whenever I Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster, I can remove exactly three counters from this Field—and use one of my opponent's monsters as Fusion Material!"

"WHAT?!"

"I fuse the _Shaddoll Hound_ in my hand with your _Gem-Knight Master Dia!_ " Ito declared, ignoring his opponent's outburst completely as he slotted a card from his hand into his Graveyard slot.

 _He's using Opposition Fusion?!_ Masumi's shock was well warranted; this was _not_ one of the Fusion methods she'd mastered in her studies. It wasn't that she simply didn't want to, it was also that the chance to master it had never been given to her in the first place. Opposition Fusion had only been mentioned once in her studies—and was said to be so nasty that almost every known card making use of it had been banned from competitive play.

Not that Masumi had cared too much at the time—she knew enough about Fusion Summoning by that point already that Opposition Fusion was no loss for her; she did quite well without it. Unfortunately, however, it seemed that she had vastly underestimated the power of this obscure but powerful Summoning technique.

She stepped back, horrorstruck, as the three shadows under _Master Dia_ retreated towards the armored giant's feet—no, she corrected herself; they weren't retreating. They were climbing up its armor and its broadsword, stretching into flat, black tendrils. Within seconds, they had reached _Master Dia's_ shoulders.

Then—Masumi's eyes bugged in shock—the Fusion Monster roared in pain as the tendrils constricted around its body, forcibly dragging him into the black pit that had suddenly opened under his boots. Try as the monster might, he could do nothing against the impossible strength of the shadows that bound it. In less time than it had taken for _Master Dia_ to be imprisoned, the last that Masumi saw of her precious monster was an armored gauntlet reaching out of an endless abyss—

Suddenly, a doglike shape leapt into that abyss from somewhere beside Ito—and now the well of darkness began to spread out along the field, swirling progressively faster as the entity proclaimed:

 **"Dark threads of the otherworld, bind the** _ **flames**_ **to your will!** _ **Fusion Summon!**_ **"**

Masumi saw a vast, bipedal shape moving inside the shadowy pit, rapidly growing and growing until—

 **"Burn away the foes who dare to defy your power! Rise now,** _ **El Shaddoll Egrysta!**_ **"**

The massive Fusion Monster leapt forth from its dark cradle with the speed of a vengeful demon. This, too, was no longer a silhouetted form; the gigantic figure of _Egrysta_ (Level 7: _ATK 2450_ /DEF 1950) was covered in corroded armor, so warped and melted that Masumi saw nothing resembling the _Gem-Knights_ she'd once thought this creature might have represented. Multicolored ball joints connected the limbs of the huge puppet, and hundreds of glowing red strings sprouted from its shoulders. Its long, pale yellow hair writhed in every direction like snakes; upon closer inspection, Masumi did indeed see multiple serpentine heads sprouting from the armored skull.

" _Shaddoll Hound's_ effect activates!" cried Ito. "When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can target a monster on the field, and change its battle position!" It stabbed outward with a burning finger. "I target your _Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli!_ "

The tall, robed woman before Masumi suddenly bent on one knee, bringing her arms up to her breast in a classic defensive position—and that concerned the Fusion user. _Lapis Lazuli_ was her only remaining line of defense, and it only had 1000 DEF. Inwardly, she braced herself for the worst— _this is going to hurt_ , she thought.

"Battle Phase," declared Ito from atop its steed. " _El Shaddoll Midrash_ , attack _Lapis Lazuli_!"

The dragon's golden beak opened wide, expelling a burst of dark purple fire. The inferno enveloped Lapis Lazuli in a fraction of a second; when it dissipated, there was nothing left between the two Duelists.

Ito blazing finger now pointed straight at her. " _El Shaddoll Egrysta_ , attack Koutsu Masumi directly!"

Masumi bit her lip until the blood flowed as _Egrysta's_ fists were wrapped in flames, unleashing a torrent of blood-colored fire that washed over the Fusion Duelist within moments. The pain was incredible, and Masumi knew nothing else but that pain for a moment that felt like a millennium—but she did not scream; she was determined to let Ito know that she was stronger than this. Whatever curveball the entity would throw at her, she would survive it.

Ito surveyed the onslaught with a detached pleasure as Masumi's LP gauge plummeted to 1550. "Two cards face-down to end my turn," it finished, swiping a trio of cards on its Duel Disk while his opponent lay on the ground.

Masumi coughed, slowly clambering to her feet. _Egrysta's_ attack had weakened her greatly, making it very slow work. Her entire body still felt as if it was burning up in that inferno, and her clothes were singed. But get up she did, and Masumi fixed Ito with a defiant glare that burned hotter than any inferno its monsters could conjure.

"My. _Turn!_ " she said through clenched teeth. With the greatest effort it had ever cost her up to this point, she drew her next card with a snarl. _Please be a monster—please,_ please _be a monster,_ she thought—

She flipped the card—and her heart sank as she saw the Spell Card in her hand. But just as quickly, it rose right past its usual spot, straight into her throat; this one Spell was better than any monster Masumi could have drawn.

 _This Duel's as good as won!_

She swiped it on her screen without a second thought. "I activate the Equip Spell Card: _Re-Fusion!_ " she cried. "By paying 800 LP, I can target 1 Fusion Monster in my Graveyard—then, I can Special Summon that monster, and equip it with this card!" A portal yawned open before her feet, spitting out tendrils of dark energy.

"If _Re-Fusion_ is destroyed, the equipped monster is banished," Masumi explained as her LP fell to 750—exactly the same as Ito's, a part of her mind noted, "but that doesn't matter now. Because the monster I'm going to be targeting … is _Gem-Knight Master Dia!_ "

The gigantic knight rose from the dark vortex as if his ordeal at the hands of Ito's Field Spell hadn't harmed him in the slightest. _Master Dia_ drew himself up to his full height, leveling its blade in an attack stance (Level 9: _ATK 2900_ /DEF 2500).

"Remember how _Master Dia_ gains 100 ATK for every _Gem-_ monster I have in my Graveyard?" Masumi smirked. "Let's count them— _Lapis_ , _Emeral_ , _Alexand_ , and two _Lapis Lazulis_! Do you know what that means?"

Ito was silent. Masumi's smile only got wider at this—the entity knew _exactly_ what that meant.

"It means this Duel is _over!_ " Masumi screamed as _Master Dia's_ ATK rose to 3300. "Battle Phase! _Gem-Knight Master Dia_ , attack _El Shaddoll Midrash!_ End this madness _once and for all!_ "

The broadsword swung in a horizontal arc that could have cleaved through a tank, and another enormous shockwave of energy sliced from its tip—straight for _Midrash_ and Ito.

But … "Quick-Play Spell: _El Shaddoll Fusion!_ " bellowed the entity as it revealed one of its face-down cards.

Masumi tensed. _He Set a_ Fusion _card?!_

"I fuse the _El Shaddoll Midrash_ on my field with the _Shaddoll Hedgehog_ in my hand!" Ito declared as yet another whirlpool of dark energy erupted behind him. _Midrash_ , rider and all, were sucked in a moment later, along with a four-legged ball of purple needles that Masumi took to be the Hedgehog. Master Dia's attack passed harmlessly through the vortex, prompting a curse from the Fusion user.

Ito, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen, but his chanting voice seemed to echo from every direction at once:

 **"Dark master of the otherworld, bind the** _ **shadows**_ **to your will!** _ **Fusion Summon!**_

 **Extinguish the light of hope in the hearts of men! Rise now,** _ **El Shaddoll Midrash!**_ **"**

Masumi stood there, flabbergasted as a second, identical dragon burst from the tornado of light, Ito standing on its back. Why in the world would it go through all that trouble just to Fusion Summon an identical monster, when defeat was staring the entity in its nonexistent face?

Then she saw _Midrash_ curling up into a ball, putting as much of its weight as possible between _Master Dia_ and Ito, and realized with a jolt that it had been Fusion Summoned in _Defense_ Position. A look at her screen confirmed this (Level 5/ATK 2200/ _DEF 800_ ) and prompted a second, louder curse from her; Ito had Summoned that dragon just to protect his Life Points from reaching zero.

" _Shaddoll Hedgehog's_ effect activates! When it is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can add a _Shaddoll_ monster from my Deck to my hand!" Again Ito snatched a card up from his Deck.

Masumi was not unduly worried about this development; there was still the matter of the replay. Since the monsters on Ito's field had changed, _Master Dia's_ attack had essentially never happened.

Which meant: " _Master Dia_ —attack _El Shaddoll Egrysta!_ " Masumi shouted.

Her knight in shining armor swung once more with a mighty roar. This time its aim was true; the shockwave of energy ripped into the massive puppet, cleaving it in two at the waist. The two halves of _Egrysta_ collapsed with a final THUD that shook the alleyway, and Masumi heard the distant sound of crumbling structures. A massive dust cloud blew up, reducing her visibility to near zero.

It took several moments to clear, and almost as long for Masumi to catch her breath. But her labored gasps came with a lighthearted feeling—she'd beaten Ito! Finally she could be rid of this—

…

 _Wait._

Ito was laughing. It was far from a mirthful laugh—it choked and gagged from the dust, and the force of the impact. But the fact that it was Ito's voice at all made Masumi very worried.

She whirled around—and promptly had the shock of her life. Ito was standing before her, but only just—the flame entity was breathing heavily, as if he'd just run a race. How a flame entity could be out of breath was a mystery, but not one that Masumi was concerned with right now—for the gauge above Ito's head very clearly displayed: _100 LP._

Masumi's heart skipped a beat as she took in the scene. "H-how?" she stammered. "I destroyed your monster! That last attack should have wiped out every last one of your Life Points!"

"It very nearly did." Ito's voice had lost a lot of its former bluster, but the fact that he had survived Masumi's attack was getting a lot of it back. "I suppose I'm to blame for that. I did, after all, neglect to mention the _third_ effect of _Cursed Shadow's Snare_ —during your turn, for every one of its counters on the field, your monsters lose 100 ATK."

The Fusion user's eyes widened. _Seriously?!_

"I'm surprised you didn't notice it earlier," Ito said, noticing her change in expression. "Maybe if you were thinking clearly, Koutsu Masumi, you might have asked yourself that if five _Gem-Knight_ monsters were in your Graveyard, and each one gave your _Master Dia_ 100 ATK—why did its ATK only go up to _3300_ instead of _3400?_ "

Masumi's eyes automatically whipped to _Master Dia_ upon hearing the word _counter_ —and sure enough, not only did its ATK gauge sit at an oh-so-close 3100, but three ultra-black shadows had sprouted from beneath its boots as well.

 _Damn it_.

She thought back to when Ito had Fusion Summoned Egrysta—he'd used a _Shaddoll_ monster for that, meaning it automatically gained a counter even after losing three of them just prior. Then he'd Fusion Summoned that second _Midrash_ as well, meaning there were two more counters on the field— _how did I not notice it back then?!_

"I did warn you," Ito said, without any trace of sympathy. "The moment you see three shadows, you'll know you've lost this Duel."

Masumi groaned. "I end my turn," she said through clenched teeth. _It was all going so well, too_ , she thought. At least this time, she had a monster to defend herself from another attack—and 3100 ATK was still enough that it would definitely win her the Duel next turn, no matter what card she drew.

She just had to hope that Ito gave her the chance.

"My turn." Ito drew, and immediately declared, "First, I activate the Spell Card: _Worm Hole_. I can target 1 monster I control, and banish it until the start of my next turn. Since _El Shaddoll Midrash_ is the only monster I control, I'll banish that card from my field!"

A sphere of black energy appeared above _Midrash_ as Ito dismounted it; a second later, it was gone, taking the dragon away with it. Again, Masumi frowned at the strange play, but every one of Ito's strange plays thus far had proved bad news for her. She knew she had to be ready for the worst.

"Next, I activate the Continuous Trap: _Shaddoll Roots_ , and Special Summon it to my field as an Effect Monster!" The yellowish serpents that Masumi had seen on _Egrysta's_ head now slithered out from Ito's other revealed card (Level 9: ATK 1450/ _DEF 1950_ ). A disgusted Masumi decided the _Roots_ looked even more horrifying when they weren't covered in shadow.

"Finally, I activate the Spell Card: _Shaddoll Fusion!_ "

Masumi tensed as Ito placed a card on its Duel Disk— _so he drew a second copy of_ that _card, did he?_ She would have been lying if she hadn't been expecting it, though— _Shaddoll Roots_ was a Fusion Substitute Monster, Ito had claimed in their last Duel. He'd have no other reason to bring it out.

 _Still,_ she wondered, _how many more Fusion Summons can a person do in a single Duel?_

"I use my _Shaddoll Roots_ as a Fusion Substitute monster," Ito roared, "and I'll fuse it with the _Shaddoll Dragon_ in my hand to Summon _this!_ "

Behind Ito, Masumi saw a long, Chinese-style reptilian creature leap into another cyclone of darkness and light. The _Shaddoll Roots_ followed it inside not long after—its many heads swirling, glowing with arcane radiance …

 **"Dark heart of the otherworld,"** Ito recited, in the deepest voice she had yet heard, **"bind the** ** _light_** **to your will!"**

For a moment, there was nothing, and Masumi wondered if the Summoning had failed, that it hadn't been performed in time. Then, a flicker of illumination from above distracted her. She saw the threads of cloud begin to move in the sky, slowly writhing like great glowing snakes, unraveling along their lengths into scores of smaller threads before linking up again, gathering towards a single point high above the sky—they connected—

 ** _"FUSION SUMMON!"_**

The flash of light that suddenly flared up took Masumi completely by surprise. Stars danced in her vision as she shielded her eyes a moment too late. But the blinding glare had ceased as quickly as it had come; Masumi soon recovered enough to see the bottom of the Fusion Monster Ito had Summoned through the multicolored spots.

She looked up … and up.

And _up_.

 **"Blind the foolish eyes with the brilliance of God!"** Ito screamed. **"Rise now,** ** _El Shaddoll Nephilim!_** **"**

Masumi never felt her legs quiver and give way, even after her knees had hit the pavement. She could feel her eyes straining at their sockets, while her jaw hung loosely in shock. Words had utterly failed her, but she paid it no attention; every fiber of her mind was now fixed like a laser on the _biggest_ Duel Monster she'd ever seen.

If _Egrysta_ had been merely a giant among Duel Monsters, _Nephilim_ was a _titan_. What remained of the Leo Duel School—still the tallest building by far in Maiami City despite its decrepit state—didn't even measure halfway up to her _knees_. The massive marionette reached high into the clouds, mile-long limbs uncurling to their fullest extent, her porcelain visage shining like the full moon. Thousands of glowing shadow-strings waved behind her back like the wings of a butterfly, filling the sky from one horizon to the other as they stretched in every direction.

The flawless, vast face of _Nephilim_ slowly brought itself to bear on Masumi. Eyelids as big as city blocks fluttered open, and though the eyes behind them were serene and calm, beneath them was a flame that burned with the power of _truth_ and _death_. That power now condensed itself into a single piercing stare, ready to eradicate the squirming speck of a Duelist in its path with a mere effort of will.

For a moment, Koutsu Masumi wondered if she was looking into the face of a god.

She was too distracted to see _Nephilim's_ point gauge appear and disappear from view—not that it mattered to her anymore. She had already seen the power that the Duel Monster held in her eyes, seen the _truth_ that lay within, the _death_ it was prepared to deal.

 _I can't beat this thing_ , she knew. _There's just no way … not ever …_

" _Shaddoll Dragon's_ effect activates," Ito now spoke. "Since it was sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can target your _Re-Fusion_ and destroy it—meaning your _Gem-Knight Master Dia_ is banished!"

But Masumi did not even hear him. She could not tear her eyes away from the terrible beauty of Nephilim, even as her last, best line of defense was vaporized into atoms.

 _"_ _Battle Phase!"_ thundered Ito. _"_ _El Shaddoll Nephilim_ _,_ attack directly!"

Nephilim slowly lifted a gigantic foot, nearly as big as the Maiami Stadium, where the ill-fated Championship had been held. She saw the shadow it cast over her, and wanted to run away as fast as she could, but her legs felt as though they'd been encased in concrete.

 _Why can't I move—?!_

That was the only cogent thought she could make before _Nephilim_ planted her foot on the city block that surrounded the alleyway. Its impact shook the earth so violently that for a moment Masumi thought the world was coming to an end. The deafening rumble of crumbling buildings everywhere drowned out her cries; she couldn't even hear her LP counter hitting zero. Entire chunks of road were torn asunder, tossing her every which way like a ragdoll.

Then, as quickly as the apocalypse had started, _Nephilim_ had disappeared from existence, and the destruction had stopped. Masumi, however, did not feel like getting up. Her body felt like her bones had all been shattered; she could not even stand up. A dozen wounds had opened on her limbs; her clothes were wet with her own blood.

As Masumi's hands flailed about, trying to find enough leverage to prop herself to at least a sitting position, her bleeding fingers brushed across a card, then several more. Wondering if the destruction had caused her Deck to fly free of her Duel Disk, Masumi grasped the edges of every card she could reach. It was very slow work; her wet fingers made the edges of the cards slippery. Eventually, however, she was able to collect upwards of a half-dozen cards—but Masumi could tell from a glance that these were not her cards.

She gazed back in horror at the images of Yaiba and Hokuto … her parents … the dark brown hair of Professor Marco … Among these cards, however, were images of people Masumi did not recognize: a little girl with curly hair, an older teenager with no hair at all, and a pale boy around Masumi's age whose bangs fell down past his face.

 _Who … what … ?_ Masumi tried to think through the agony of her wounds, but it was very difficult to do so. Indeed, so intense was the pain, and so fixated was she by the cards in her hand, that it was a long while before she noticed Ito standing on a chunk of upturned road some ten feet away, its burning arms crossed.

The eyeless face stared right at Masumi. "You're still too weak," Ito said disapprovingly—though Masumi thought she heard a tone of grudging respect. "You don't have the skill in Fusion Summoning to defeat the likes of me."

Ito walked toward her, bending into her ear. "And no matter how hard you try," it whispered, "you never will."

The entity raised its Duel Disk. "The next time we meet will be our last," Ito said, as the device began to hum. "When that happens, you will have a choice to make. _Æmæth_ … or _mæth_."

Masumi faintly recognized the foreign words. _Truth … or death_. Win or lose, she understood—winner-take-all.

"That's right," Ito answered. His Duel Disk was now beginning to glow with a familiar purple light. "The next time we Duel, you will either win … or you will _die_."

 _Flash_.

* * *

Masumi jerked awake with a loud gasp, sitting bolt upright in her bed. Mercifully, her feet did not thump against the wall of her father's bedroom this time—but that did nothing to lessen the disagreeable feeling writhing in her insides as the shock of the nightmare wore away.

The Fusion Duelist clenched her teeth; disagreeable was the understatement of the century. She'd lost _again_ to this mysterious Ito—and this time, the loss stung more because of how _close_ it had been, to say nothing of the way Ito had dealt the finishing blow with that enormous monster of his.

 _One hundred Life Points …_ she thought bitterly. "Damn it," she whispered. "Damn it, damn it, _damn it!_ "

For the next five minutes, Masumi silently took out her fury on the sweat-soaked pillow and covers she'd slept on, wishing each punch she landed on the soft surfaces was a part of Ito. But as the stress from the loss slowly ebbed, another thought slowly worked its way into her mind. She didn't remember going to bed at all—the last thing she remembered was sitting in front of her desk. Masumi could only assume her father must have taken her to bed; it would explain why the quilt hadn't been pulled over her body at all.

She peered at her alarm clock, and groaned loudly when she saw that it read ten to four in the morning. _Great_ , she mentally groaned. She'd never wanted to sleep in any more than at this moment.

There was no point in trying to get back to sleep at a time like this, though—definitely not after a dream like that. The way Ito had phrased his last words to Masumi had sounded so intensely threatening that she was afraid to go back to sleep, for fear of falling into that dream world again and losing to those damned _Shaddolls_ for good.

 _You will either win … or you will die_.

Her bleary eyes fell upon the dark outline of her desk. Even in this dark room, she could make out the mountains of scrap paper she'd used to formulate her plan to defeat Ito. _A fat lot of good it did me_ , she thought. _All that planning … all for nothing_.

Masumi got to her feet, stretching to work out some of the discomfort that still lingered in her limbs. She recalled what Wendy had told her about keeping a dream diary—recording everything she could remember about this dream so they could talk about it whenever they next met. Masumi had a feeling she'd need to pay her a visit much sooner than they'd agreed upon.

She reached her desk, and was relieved to see that a few blank sheets still sat there amidst the piles of wadded paper, laying innocuously next to her Gem-Knight Deck. _So Father really did come in here,_ she thought; her cards had been scattered all over the place, not gathered into this neat little pile. _I'll have to thank him later—but right now, I need to write all this down while I still have it fresh in my head_.

Masumi gathered together a few sheets of paper, and slowly began to write.

* * *

 _Later that morning_

"I nearly had him. If it wasn't for that stupid Field Spell, I would have _won!_ "

Masumi's fist came crashing down upon the table upon the last word, rattling the teapot and nearly upsetting her own cup. The clinking sound of the china was like an alarm in her head; immediately, she regretted her outburst.

"I'm really sorry," she said truthfully, heaving a tired sigh. "I don't usually get so angry in front of people. It's just … "—she clenched her fist impulsively, but this time thought better of following through—"have you ever been so close to something amazing, only to have it snatched away from you at the last possible moment?"

"You'd be surprised," remarked Wendy Grimm from her chair, sipping at her chamomile and ginger tea as a clock somewhere struck half past ten. "I can't say the opportunity was 'snatched away', but talking with a Duelist as good as you sometimes makes me wonder how _I'd_ have turned out if I'd chosen those Dueling clubs in university over my degree. There's nothing wrong with wondering about the road not taken every once in a while."

Every moment of Masumi's dream from last night—every sight, every sound, and every turn of the Duel that had followed—had been related to the therapist sitting alongside her in exhaustive detail. Whether this was because the dream diary had worked that well, or the dream itself had simply been that vivid, Masumi wasn't sure.

Speaking of vivid … She'd done her best to focus on the events of the nightmare, because Wendy was proving to be quite a distraction this morning—not that Masumi didn't think she was consciously trying, in fairness. Yesterday's tan overcoat had been replaced in favor of another, equally woebegone coat, even more frayed at the sleeves than the previous one. To make matters worse, though, the garment was the most _lurid_ shade of dark violet that she had ever seen. Just looking at it hurt Masumi's eyes.

Wendy set aside her teacup. "But I digress. I think this is amazing progress you've made—not only have you started relating these events of your dream in much greater detail, but you've come closer to beating this shadow in your mind than ever before. Try not to dwell too much on what you think you should have done, Masumi," she soothed. "You tried your best, and it's gotten you closer to a breakthrough than ever."

The Fusion Duelist couldn't help but smile at that—the counselor was right. Her next sip of tea felt pleasantly warm, and lessened the sting of the loss a little.

"I would like to know, though, why you chose to call this shadow _Ito_ ," Wendy said, notepad and pen to hand.

"He told me himself," replied Masumi. "That was his name. _Thread_."

"Really?" Wendy's curiosity clearly looked piqued as she scrawled in her pad. "Now that _is_ interesting."

"I don't find it interesting, I find it annoying," Masumi said flatly. "I just want to beat Ito so I won't have to face him again. I want this off my chest so I can get on with my life."

She wanted so badly to talk to Wendy about her experience in the computer lab yesterday, and her later talk with Chairwoman Akaba, but Himika had been adamant in forbidding Masumi from talking about what had happened in her office. The ire of her principal was too much to risk for something so comparatively little.

Wendy, perhaps sensing Masumi was not in a jovial mood, set aside the notebook and immediately assumed a serious expression. "Masumi, how many people know about these dreams you've been having?" she asked.

"Just my father. I haven't told him what goes on in these dreams, but he knows I've had trouble sleeping. That's why he referred me to you, after all," Masumi reminded her.

"And no one else knows? Not even your friends?"

Masumi hesitated—she hadn't been expecting that line of questioning. " … I'm not sure what they'd say about it, to be honest," was her eventual answer. "To them, it'd just be some strange dream—even if it feels like it's more than that to me. Don't get me wrong, Wendy, I _know_ something is wrong here—but I just don't know how I'd be able to break the news to anyone I know." She laughed hollowly. "I'm not even sure I believe it myself."

Wendy's mouth creased in a frown. "Maybe that's not the issue," she said thoughtfully. "Tell me more about these cards you see around you in your dreams—I mean to say, the people they represent. Who are they to you; how do you know them? Concentrate on these now—do the best you can to remember who or what you saw."

The Fusion user let out a long exhale as she thought back to the imagery. "I know some better than others," she said while she was doing so. "Yaiba and Hokuto, obviously. My parents and Professor Marco … oh. That was another thing that was different about this dream. A few of the cards I saw had different faces from what I remember. They might have even been young enough to all be students."

"Of LDS?"

Masumi shrugged. "I'm not sure … I don't ever remember seeing them before."

Wendy reached for a tablet computer on the end table. "Do you think you could describe them for me?"

Masumi closed her eyes, willing the images of the cards to come forth in her mind. Finally, one did. "There was a girl," she said. "Very young—not even a teenager. Light curly hair—might have been blonde. I didn't really get a good look at her beyond that."

Wendy was already busy scrolling continuously through a grid of pictures that Masumi assumed must be the LDS student database. After about a minute of this behavior, she tapped one picture, blowing it up to the size of the screen before showing it to Masumi. "This one might be a promising match—Menoko Hotene."

"Menoko … Hotene … " Masumi repeated, mulling over the name; something about it sounded familiar to her. "Hang on—I think she might have entered in the Maiami Championship. If she's as young as she looked in my dream, though, that'd have to make her Junior Division; I didn't see very many of their matches.

"Try searching for another one," she said, closing her eyes to think of the next face that came to mind. "Bald male, mid- to late teens."

Wendy scrolled for a much longer time than before. "I'm not seeing anything so far … dear me, how can these people _stand_ wearing their hair like this … wait. _Aha_ ," she smiled. "He's a student at one of our branch schools—that was why I didn't see him earlier. Didn't pop up until right at the end."

 _Branch school?_ "Our database includes exchange students, too?" Masumi wondered out loud, surprised.

"Apparently so," Wendy said, showing Masumi the highlighted picture. "According to this, he's a Synchro user from LDS Shanghai—name of Li Shen. Come to think, I may have seen him with your friend Yaiba once or twice. It wouldn't surprise me if they share classes."

 _Another match_ , Masumi thought. _The pieces are starting to come together_. "Okay, then—last one. Another male, maybe my age, pale skin, really long hair in the front."

"Oh, I don't need the database to find _him_ ," Wendy said, setting aside her tablet. "That's Rokkaku Fuyu. He's been seeing another counselor himself the past few days, from what I'm told. Probably will be for a while, the poor boy."

Masumi thought she could guess why. "Did he lose somebody at the Maiami Championship?"

"He did," Wendy said solemnly. "Shijima Hokuto was one of the few friends he had."

Masumi felt a dull blow to her stomach. So the loss of Hokuto had affected more people than she'd initially believed. "Well, if I ever run into him," she said, "I'll do what I can to help him."

"That's very kind of you," beamed Wendy, "and it actually ties quite neatly into what I'd like you to do next."

"Oh?"

Wendy poured herself a second cup of tea. "If you ask me," she said after a sip, "I think it might be a good idea to let the secret out. Not to the whole world, mind—just to a select few. People you can trust, like your friends and family. They're much more valuable in life than anyone can imagine, Masumi. Without my friends and family, I might never have earned my degree. Maybe even never earned my job here, or had this pleasant chat with you."

Masumi laughed—but something still bothered her. "You don't think they'll call me crazy?"

"If they're truly your friends, Masumi," Wendy replied, her green eyes twinkling, "they'll help you in any way they can. Why don't you spend some more time with them?" she suggested. "You could even start doing that today—it's such a beautiful day outside. If nothing else, it could help you take your mind off things for a little while."

"You say that like I ought to dream about them like I've been dreaming about Ito," muttered Masumi.

Wendy raised an eyebrow. "Is that such a bad idea?"

The Fusion Duelist was about to reply when suddenly she stopped, mouth half-open as a thought—a daring, unbelievable thought—suddenly sparked inside her mind, like a tiny diamond reflecting the light of the sun …

 _Grind._

 _Sand._

 _Lap._

 _Polish._

 _Et voilà._

" … Actually, no," Masumi said, a wide smile spreading across her face for the first time today. "No, it's not."

She headed for the door. "Thanks for everything, Wendy. I think you just gave me an idea on how to beat Ito," she said gratefully to the counselor, "for _real_ this time. I'll drop by tomorrow and tell you how things went!"

Before Wendy could say anything in reply, Masumi was already sprinting down the hall for the elevator.

* * *

At that moment, Toudou Yaiba was halfway through his morning jog—just another part of his exercise regimen that had needed trimming after his scrap with Kachidoki. Ordinarily, he'd have completed his usual route by now, and at a full sprint to boot, after which he'd start practicing his Dueling.

Suddenly, he heard his Duel Disk going off, and he skidded to a halt alongside a line of shops that bordered the city's Central Park. Yaiba frowned as he took a look at the caller ID before answering the call.

"What's up?"

"Yaiba, could you meet me in Central Park around noon?" Masumi sounded like she'd been running a race. "I have a few things to do today—I could use your help with them if you're available."

"Um—sure; I'm actually close by it if you want to meet me sooner," the Synchro Duelist replied. "What for?"

"It's a little hard to explain right now," panted Masumi. "I'll tell you more when I see you there. Bye!"

The line went dead before Yaiba had the opportunity to ask where in Central Park she wanted to meet. He stared at the screen of his Duel Disk with no small amount of confusion, wondering why Masumi wasn't so keen to explain herself—before shrugging and crossing the street on the way to the park.

* * *

 **A/N: You know that gray area where you have all this material packed into one long chapter, except it isn't long enough to split into multiple coherent chapters? I think I hit that gray area here. Hopefully it hasn't detracted from the chapter as a whole.**

 **Anyhow, I think I've squeezed out enough** ** _ARC-V_** **for a while. The rest of this story is going to involve a large amount of planning Duels; I'll be looking at those every so often while I release a few more chapters of** ** _Rain's Hand_** **. The next chapter of that is about 5,000 words in; I hope to release it sometime next week.**

 **Rate and review if you so desire, and thanks for reading! - K**


	5. V

V

From an outsider's point of view, the notion of Action Duels, while unquestionably entertaining, presented a certain conundrum. How was it, after all, that mere children could pull off feats of athleticism more appropriate for an Olympic event than a card game?

The answer was twofold: first, compulsory physical education for every academic institution in the city—whether for basic schooling or for Dueling. The details were left to the principals' discretion—a student of the Clarity Duel School, for instance, wouldn't necessarily need to be as physically active as someone who hailed from the Ryouzanpaku School—but Action Duels, by definition, required an active, physically fit body.

Second, Maiami City boasted the largest budget by far for parks and recreation in the nation. It certainly helped that one of the city officials—the same one, in fact, who seemed dead-set on being reelected as the city's mayor by any means necessary—was the father of a very well-known student at the Leo Duel School. For all the man's ego, not to mention a temper to match his short stature, he had genuinely done his part to make _Duel Monsters_ more than just a popular sport in town, but a way of life.

Naturally, it stood to reason these two elements ought to be combined somehow—indeed, excited kids were too often turned away from a Duel School because of a physical education deemed less-than-satisfactory. This official, then, had funded ways to get these kids to Duel in a way that not only helped boost the limits of their body, but also their sense of creativity and fun.

Masumi and Yaiba were now approaching one of the first results of that effort. The Trampo-Land trampoline park had initially been the subject of a number of jokes from critics, the most popular one of which went something along the lines of "I have a five-year-old boy who could have thought up a better name than that."

Then the first advertisement had aired, and suddenly the jokes were nowhere to be found—and it wasn't just five-year-old boys who were excited about what was coming to town. In the span of a year, two other parks like Trampo-Land had been opened around the city, each with the same theme around it: entire rooms filled with trampolines, airbags, great pits of foam rubber—and for good measure, a special Solid Vision system that allowed Duelists to use one such room to battle one another.

Of these three parks, Trampo-Land was the closest to LDS—which was why Masumi thought it very likely she'd find her first target here.

* * *

" _This_ is what you had in mind?"

Yaiba stared at the enormous, brilliantly colored cube before them with an expression of unease. "Not that I don't appreciate the thought, Masumi," he said, "but I'm not exactly in the shape I'd like to be in for a place like this."

He rubbed at his side gingerly, wincing as he brushed over one of the lingering remnants of his ill-fated Duel. "And you could have told me you wanted to come here when you called me in the first place—no need to make it sound like some big surprise."

Masumi felt slightly guilty as Yaiba said this; she had spoken to her friend very little as to her plans for the day since they'd met up an hour ago. The Fusion Duelist wasn't yet ready to take Wendy's words at face value, and so she'd decided to be discreet about her plans for the time being—especially since she wasn't sure if _this_ particular plan would even work.

 _Tell them everything bit by bit_ , she had said to herself on the way out of LDS. _Nothing more than they need to know_.

"Actually, this is only _part_ of what I had in mind," Masumi corrected him, "and I wasn't planning on staying long, anyway—just long enough to find out if someone I know is inside." She'd spoken to a few of the Junior students before meeting up with Yaiba, and almost every one of them had mentioned this park being a favored hangout spot for the "someone" in question. To her slight surprise, one or two of them had even hinted that she'd wanted to see Masumi for some time now.

"Oh, darn," said Yaiba sardonically, as they approached the front door. "And here I was hoping you were taking me out on a date—or at least a bit of _sightseeing_."

Masumi knew he was only joking, but she still felt a vein twitch in her brow at how Yaiba emphasized the last word. "I will find where Hiiragi Yuzu keeps that fan of hers," she muttered without turning around, loud enough for him to hear, "and I will _use it_."

Yaiba nearly swallowed his tongue in his haste to apologize, but Masumi simply laughed it off.

They swung open the door to a wall of noise. Even the recent invasion had done very little to slow business today, it seemed—although Yaiba and Masumi were both quick to take note that the number of parents in the rather long line ahead of them were much more than might be expected. No doubt Himika's announcement had prompted a slew of concerns over personal safety, especially where children were concerned.

At length, they reached the counter. The attendant behind it greeted them with a smile that dazzled like one too many pieces of cubic zirconium for Masumi's liking. "Hi! Looking to jump today?" she asked, raising her voice so as to be heard over the cacophony of rambunctious kids behind them.

Masumi answered her question before the woman could launch into any prearranged speeches about discounts or promotions. "Actually, I'm looking for someone, and I'm pretty sure she might be here. A little girl, about so high"—she raised a hand at roughly chest-height—"with _really_ untidy hair?"

At this, the attendant nodded knowingly, and her next smile suddenly looked much more genuine. "Ah, of course, you're LDS," she said, looking at the pins fastened to their shirt collars. "Little Hotene's been in the Dueling arena on the third floor ever since her parents dropped her off about half an hour ago. With how often she comes here, I wouldn't be surprised if all her prize money gets spent on tickets to this place." She gave a tinkling laugh. "I wish I had her energy some days."

"Do you think we could see her?" Masumi asked. "I'd rather not interrupt her if she's in the middle of a Duel."

The attendant checked her computer for a few seconds. "Well, it says here she bought a two-hour ticket, so I'd say you've got more than enough time to catch her. Have you been here before?"

They shook their heads. "Okay. I'm going to need a waiver from you before I can let you inside the park itself—safety reasons and all that. Your parents can fill one out in a few minutes online if they're not too busy. If you decide you want to jump here after all, you can pay for a ticket at any time after we get you in the system."

Masumi raised an eyebrow as she looked at the price sheet—it wasn't by any means expensive, but those prices weren't pocket change, either. She'd never wanted to be fifteen more badly than this—by then she was certain that she wouldn't simply be helping her father with gems, but actually start working for him, and earning an honest day's work to pay her own way through LDS.

Still, she couldn't help but think back to Wendy's suggestion to take her mind off things. A little chance to stretch her legs might help do her some good, she decided—maybe enough to even help her sleep without having to worry about nightmares.

"I'll give it a thought," she said, nodding. "Do you have someplace quiet I can make a call?"

* * *

After a brief explanation to her father, repeated assurances that she would pay for any future trips with her own allowance money, and five minutes of waiting for her waiver to process, the attendant gave Masumi a thumbs-up. She spent just enough time to give a quick "Thanks!" before dashing off to find their quarry, Yaiba close behind.

As they went up the stairs, they saw glimpses of the park interior from the massive observation windows alongside. Masumi, not having owned a trampoline before, was impressed to see row upon row of them laid out in a grid along the floor—even the walls in some places, she noticed—that could have comfortably seated a pair of houses. A recent single from the Duel Girls Club blared from the speakers, loudly enough to nearly drown out the dozens of people playing there. Masumi could feel the vibrations of the music in her bones, and she wondered how the sheer volume of the noise hadn't blown out the windows.

More of the same awaited them as they crested the second floor, along with something Masumi thought might be an obstacle course of some kind. She'd been playing _Duel Monsters_ long enough to know firsthand that it was just as athletic as any sport in the world. That didn't stop her, however, from feeling rather physically inadequate as she watched several kids half her age do flips and stunts into an airbag half the size of her backyard. It made her dizzy just to look at it—and, she admitted, not a _little_ bit envious of their ability.

Masumi was about to make a mental note to redo her exercise regimen the first chance she had when a sudden cheer from up ahead distracted her. She and Yaiba were fast approaching the third floor, where the attendant had said the Dueling arena was located; judging from the small crowd ahead of them, it was quite popular, and already in use.

A screen suddenly blipped on above their heads, revealing a pair of blue eyes over a grinning mouth that looked two sizes too big for the round face it was plastered on, all under the messiest head of blonde hair Masumi had ever seen. She smiled at the familiar face as the caption WIN appeared over the victor's head, and squeezed herself through a crowd of kids who looked like they'd gotten lost on the way to getting Naname Mikiyo's autograph. Thus clear of the crowds, Masumi and Yaiba finally opened the door to the arena—and neither of them could resist a double take.

In retrospect, considering where she was right now, Masumi didn't think there was any reason to be surprised—but this was still the strangest Dueling arena she'd ever laid eyes upon. More trampolines greeted her, laid out in a grid above an RSV generator that fit neatly under the construction. Masumi counted sixteen rectangular mats, each of their edges lined with heavy, multicolored pads. Of these, twelve were arranged in a square, lined up in two sets of five, with another pair of bigger mats—each one with more floor space than her bedroom—dividing the arena down the middle. These flanked a square, padded platform in the center of the arena, while the remaining four mats were tilted at an angle alongside the springy floor, with just enough space in between for Duelists to enter and exit, and any crowds to watch the battles within from a safe distance.

To either side of the arena were two massive pits of foam, even bigger than the airbag on the floor below; together, they were almost the size of the tennis courts at Sawatari's middle school. From one of these clambered a young boy of around ten—no doubt the one who'd come off worse in this Duel, Masumi thought. "Worse", though, might have been a bit harsh; the boy was still smiling even as he tottered dizzily past her. Evidently, losing hadn't kept him from having the time of his life.

As for the winner—

"MASU- _CHAAAAAN!_ "

Masumi instantly whirled around at the singsong, rather screechy voice of unbridled joy, but she only had a moment to see the head of windswept, straw-colored hair right in front of her. One moment after that, she felt a dull THUD right in her stomach and tumbled head over heels to the floor, completely and utterly winded from the living missile that had zoomed at her from almost out of nowhere.

What little research Masumi had done on Menoko Hotene since leaving Wendy's office spoke of a talented Duelist, even at her age. At only nine years old, Hotene had breezed her way into the top eight of the Junior Division in last week's Maiami Championship, and would likely have gone much farther than that if her quarterfinals opponent had been anyone else besides Akaba Reira. Before that, she'd represented LDS at the Inter-Prefectural Championships in Osaka two months ago, taking top standing in the U10 division with relative ease. These two honors had been a large part of the reason behind her meteoric rise to the top of LDS' Junior Fusion circuit.

No amount of accolades, however, could change the fact that a nine-year-old Duelist was still nine years old—and every bit as rambunctious as that implied. Masumi doubted there was a kid in this entire city that better personified this trait than the one who'd just crashed straight into her chest.

"Good—to—see you—too—Hotene," she could only wheeze as the child prodigy grabbed her midsection in a bear hug that could have crumpled scrap metal. Bare moments had passed, however, before Hotene sprang away from her and back into the arena, leaping about like a gazelle from one mat to the next, giggling like a lunatic all the way. Her flyaway hair and lavender romper dress fluttered about with every bounce she made.

"So _that's_ the person you were looking for?" Yaiba remarked from behind her as Masumi got to her feet, brushing off her clothes from the tumble. "I'm having trouble just keeping my eyes on this runt."

"I know what I'm doing—trust me." She couldn't blame his skepticism, though. Hotene already seemed like the type of person who more enjoyed being _off_ the ground than _on_ it—precocious, yes, but impetuous as well, not to mention lost in her own little world. Getting her involved in Masumi's plan would take some _serious_ persuasion.

"Did—you—see—me—win—just—now?" The tiny Duelist punctuated each word with a leap that sent her just a few inches higher every time, until her lime-colored socks would come level with Masumi's eyes. The blade of her neon-green Duel Disk—a smaller, more kid-intuitive model—still shimmered with golden light.

"We actually just missed you," said Masumi, still wincing as she rubbed at where Hotene's viselike embrace had crushed her. "I bet you did amazing, though!"

Hotene stopped jumping long enough to shake her head yes, and then she was back to showing Masumi the dirty soles of her socks again. "Uh-huh!" she crowed. "That boy I just Dueled"— _bounce_ —"he was new in town"— _bounce_ —"an' when I told him"— _bounce_ —"I was top of my class"— _bounce_ —"he said I was lying"— _bounce_ —"'cause I was a _girl_!"

Masumi cringed. Kids were always going to be kids, that was true—but really, she wondered, hadn't that way of thinking been nailed in a coffin years ago? "And we _girls_ can't have that, now, can we?" she said with a wry smirk.

"Nope!" giggled Hotene. "Sure—showed—him!"

She suddenly let out a huge gasp, which—coupled with the way she threw down her feet to stop bouncing—sounded oddly like skidding tires. "I know!" she chirped. "You an' I can Duel! I bet you're lots better than a buncha boys!"

That threw Masumi for a loop. " … Maybe later today, when you're done here?" she offered. "I wanted your help with something today, but I don't mind waiting around for you to finish jumping, either." That wasn't entirely true; Masumi had been hoping to stick to something of a schedule today, and she wasn't sure if there would be enough time for her to be sidetracked by Hotene's antics.

Hotene made a show of putting her finger to her chin. "Nuh-uh!" she grinned, wagging said finger at the Fusion user in a bossy way. "Masu- _chan_ wants my help, Masu- _chan_ has to help me first! That means Masu- _chan_ has to Duel me!"

Masumi groaned under her breath. "But I don't even have a ticket! I had to sign a waiver just to find you in here!"

But she might as well have leveled her protest at a pigeon for all the response it got her; Hotene was bounding about the arena again, giggling all the way.

"Guess that means I'm _better than you!_ " she cackled. "I'm the best of LDS! Or is Masu- _chan_ too _scared_ to lose to a _sweet little girl_?"

Masumi knew she could never be angry with Hotene for long—and she had to assume the little girl's taunting was all in fun—but it didn't stop her smile from vanishing quicker than a blown light bulb. She could feel the vein begin to throb on her brow again as she watched the impudent child catapult herself around the arena. The crowds of kids outside, meanwhile, had grown noticeably quiet, and Masumi thought she knew why: two of the topmost students in LDS' Fusion circuit were here, in the same room—and one had just challenged the other to her face.

She could feel the eyes of everyone else in the room locked on her, waiting for the answer to the challenge she had just been given, as the gears turned in her head. It hadn't been in her mind to Duel any of the people she was looking for to carry out her mad scheme, but if that was what it took …

 _Besides_ , she thought, _it'll be a learning opportunity; I'll be getting a good look at their Decks later on anyway, if all goes well. Now I think about it, this could be even_ better _than what I first had in mind; I can learn about how these people Duel, and still find a way to take my mind off things, like Wendy told me to._

Her eyes flicked to the crowd of children, each one wearing the same expectant look on their face, and shrugged. _… Oh, what the heck_ , she thought, feeling her mouth twitch into a rare, daring smile. _Let's give them all a show._

Without tearing her gaze from Hotene, she reached into her pocket and fished out a number of banknotes, tossing them over her shoulder to Yaiba. "Tell the girl at the counter I'll be needing a ticket after all," she said, her voice surprisingly calm as she fished out her Duel Disk from its holster. "Be quick about it," she added under her breath.

The kids around them cheered; their sixth sense of when a Duel was about to take place hadn't let them down yet.

Only Yaiba restrained himself. "Did you see that line down there?" he protested. "If you want to Duel her so badly, then you can wait your own turn—"

" _Fan!_ "

Yaiba was out the door with the yen before the threat had left her mouth.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Masumi's Duel Disk had been fixed to her wrist, and the blade hummed to life as she kicked off her shoes. Hotene, meanwhile, still refused to stay in one place for more than a few seconds, bouncing on the balls of her heels as she waited for Masumi at one end of the arena.

Gingerly, Masumi took her first tentative steps onto the elastic black mat before her, feeling it give way under her weight—then, just as quickly, she rebounded a few inches upward with a groan of springs. She could feel her heart leaping into her mouth with the rest of her body; already she could tell that this was not going to be like any Action Duel she'd yet taken part in before.

A few experimental jumps later, though, Masumi was beginning to get the idea it would be a memorable one.

 _Don't get too excited, now_ , a part of her mind cautioned her, as she skipped over to the trampoline opposite Hotene. _Remember why you agreed to this in the first place_. She took a deep breath, let it out—and hefted her Duel Disk.

"Active Duel Disks detected," an electronic female voice suddenly spoke from below their feet. "Non-combatants, please vacate the arena immediately for your safety." A pause, and then: "Action Field selected: _Gravity Sixteen_."

Masumi felt a rumbling beneath her feet as the RSV generators were activated to cheers from the gathering crowd. Beams of energy crisscrossed in midair in an intricate maze of light as the arena began to change around the two girls; it unfolded and expanded in all four directions before folding in on itself again, like the sides of a box. A second arena now materialized above Masumi's head, identical in every way to the one she was on now, except suspended at least fifty feet up in the air—and upside down to boot. Now the sides of the box closed in around them, sealing the two Duelists inside—creating a total of _six_ trampoline-covered arenas, one for each side of the cube that had just been created around them. And that wasn't all.

Masumi was only aware of a brief _shifting_ sensation, and then something beyond all the black mats caught her eye. Some invisible force was distorting, shrinking and stretching the cube along her field of view, creating even more arenas beyond theirs—a _cube inside of a cube_. She had the brief feeling of looking at the world around her from the inside of a highly polished diamond, marveling at how the facets reflected the light into a kaleidoscope of images, repeating almost into infinity.

Her Duel with Hotene hadn't even started, and already this was the most complicated Action Field Masumi had ever been inside. She could see why it was appealing to all these kids; given the capabilities of Real Solid Vision, it was doubtful the trampolines that comprised the walls and ceiling were there for simple decoration, either.

That feeling of physical inadequacy kicked in again. _Focus_ , her brain said again; _don't get sidetracked by the sights._ She pulled herself back to reality, just in time to hear Hotene leading her fans in the traditional Dueling chant.

 **"Duelists locked in battle! Kicking against the earth, and dancing in the air alongside their monsters, they storm through this Field!**

 **"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!"**

The cheering reached a crescendo as Masumi and Hotene shouted in tandem: "Action … DUEL!"

Some cleverly hidden lens projected screens onto several trampolines on the wall: Life Point counters for each Duelist, set to 4000. At the same time, a flash of light came from the center of the cubical arena, and a thousand Action Cards were scattered to its furthest reaches, waiting to be found.

"Challenger goes first!" cried Masumi as she drew five cards from her deck. One of them made her heart rise immediately, and she wasted no time in swiping her favorite card across her screen.

"I activate the Spell Card _Gem-Knight Fusion!_ " she declared. "With this card, I can fuse _Gem-Knight_ monsters in my hand or on my field to perform a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse _Gem-Knight Roumaline_ and _Gem-Knight Emeral_ from my hand!"

Masumi felt the vortex of energy ripple behind her as she sent both monsters to her Graveyard, and as images of two armored knights—one glowing yellow, another a bright green—were sucked inside, she began to chant:

 **"Gem tinged with lightning! Brilliant emerald of good fortune! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!**

 **"Fusion Summon! Appear! The one who pursues victory,** ** _Gem-Knight Paz!_** **"**

From this vortex leapt a huge armored man, twice as tall as Masumi, and clad head to toe in fiery orange-yellow armor. Each hand brandished a short, lightning-bolt-like blade as the knight came to rest almost weightlessly on the mats beneath it, a gauge briefly displaying (Level 6: _ATK 1800_ /DEF 1800) above its helm before winking out.

Masumi spared a single second to look at her hand, and noticed _Doublet Fusion_ sitting innocuously at the far left. _Perfect follow-up_ , she thought, as she swiped it face-down on her Duel Disk. "I Set one card, and end my turn!"

She could hear the excited whispers from the bystanders, no doubt impressed at how she'd managed to Fusion Summon on her first turn—without Summoning any monsters first, even—and had to fight the urge to scoff. At her level in the Fusion course, such alternative ways to traditional Fusion Summoning were hardly few and far between—and Masumi's _Gem-Knight_ deck had just about every one of them at her disposal.

Now Hotene drew a card, and immediately Masumi could tell that the little girl's poker face needed a _lot_ of work—the smile forming on her face told her she'd drawn something good.

"I play the Spell Card _Dual Summon_!" cried Hotene. "With this card, I can Normal Summon _twice_ this turn! The first monster I'll Summon'll be _Noble Spirit Beast Petolphin_ , in Defense Position!"

A pink, smiling dolphin wearing sparkling silver armor swooped down beside Hotene, showing (Level 4/ATK 0/ _DEF 2000_ ) above its dorsal fin. Masumi frowned—she'd hoped for a better monster for _Paz_ to attack. While its physical stats were weak, the Fusion Monster's effect allowed it to not only attack twice, but to convert the ATK of any monsters it destroyed into damaging the opponent. _Paz_ had won Masumi a good few Duels in the past on its own—but it seemed Hotene had done her homework on that end by Summoning that one monster.

"Now, I activate _Petolphin's_ effect!" Hotene swiped her hand out at Masumi— _no_ , she thought, _not quite_. "Once per turn, I can banish a _Spirit Beast_ card from my hand to target a card on the field—an' return _it_ to the hand!"

Masumi grit her teeth, frustrated. She knew what card Hotene had in mind—and it wouldn't be going to the hand.

"I target your _Gem-Knight Paz_!" A jewel on the dolphin's crest flashed once, and the knight in question was simply _gone_. "An' since that monster was Summoned from the Extra Deck—it'll end up right back inside, won't it?"

Masumi sighed. "That's right," she grumbled, gathering her monster and slotting it back in her Extra Deck.

"An' I'm not done!" grinned Hotene. "For my _second_ Normal Summon, I'll play _Spirit Beast Tamer Wen_ in Attack Position!" Masumi did a double take as a girl who looked uncannily like Hotene—except with much neater hair—shimmered onto the field under the display (Level 3: _ATK 1500_ /DEF 1000), pointing a sapphire-tipped staff at her.

" _Wen's_ effect activates when it's Normal Summoned!" Hotene went on. "I can Special Summon one of my banished _Spirit Beast_ monsters! An' that monster will be … _Noble Spirit Beast Rampenta_!"

The blue crystal on _Wen's_ staff flared brightly; when it dimmed, a monster that Masumi could only describe as a giant green penguin (Level 4: _ATK 1600_ /DEF 400) was hovering between the two monsters, and right in front of Hotene. The little girl bounced from her trampoline into the air with a creak of springs and a whoop, arcing in a slow front flip and coming to rest splay-legged on the back of her mount.

"Now I activate _Rampenta's_ effect!" shouted Hotene, swiping several cards from various locations in her Duel Disk. "Once per turn, I can banish a monster from my Extra Deck, an' then send a monster with the same Type as that monster from my Deck to the Graveyard!"

Suddenly, Hotene gasped again, as if she'd remembered something important. "But what's this?" she said, her eyes bugging to the size of rice balls as she stared at her hand. "I don't have any cards in my hand to help me Fusion Summon like you, Masu- _chan!_ Why doesn't a _Fusion Duelist_ have any cards to help her Fusion Summon?"

Masumi watched the theatrics in no small amount of confusion. Hotene really was a very bad bluffer; points could be made for her young age, but even then, Duelists knew better not to disclose the contents of their hands so openly.

Then, suddenly, something changed in Hotene's grin. That wasn't the smile of a nine-year-old girl Masumi was seeing anymore—it looked more like the leer of a shark that had just smelled blood in the water.

"I'll tell ya why," she smirked. "It's 'cause _I don't need those cards at all!_ "

Masumi's mouth fell open as realization hit her. _She isn't going to—!_

"I banish my _Spirit Beast Tamer Wen_ an' my _Noble Spirit Beast Petolphin_!" screamed Hotene, clasping her hands together as she recited:

 **"Now, when the bond between man and beast is at its strongest, the swirling tempest will be united with the purest mind of childhood!"**

As the two monsters reached for one another, there was no vortex swirling behind them—but rather a blindingly bright light that shone as the tips of fin and fingers just barely _touched_.

 ** _"Contact Fusion!_** **Appear!** ** _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin!"_**

The Fusion Monster that emerged from the light looked deceptively identical to its Materials, but a small part of Masumi's brain noted how both the girl and the dolphin she mounted looked older now—and in the case of the latter, _bigger_ , easily the size of her _Gem-Knight Paz_ —and definitely much stronger, she added as she saw the gauge in front of its snout (Level 6/ATK 200/ _DEF 2800_ ).

Unfortunately, the rest of Masumi's brain was too focused on what she'd just seen. She wasn't alone; surprised shouts and impressed cheers had arisen from the spectators who'd also witnessed the amazing feat of Summoning.

 _Contact Fusion_ had only come up briefly in Masumi's studies at LDS; the method was stated to be incredibly rare, and in all cases quite powerful—the chief reason being that it didn't need any _Fusion_ effects whatsoever to Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck. It was amazing enough that she had been able to see it in practice with her own eyes, but seeing it being performed by such a young Duelist was unthinkable—and bordering on _impossible!_

 _How did she learn to Summon like that so quickly?!_ Masumi thought in total disbelief. _Is she really that good?_

"Battle Phase!" declared Hotene, and _Rampenta_ flapped its fins, carrying her into the air. "But first!"

Hotene suddenly sprang off her mount at a flying leap, bouncing once on a trampoline to scale the springy walls—where Masumi noticed only too late a telltale glowing rectangle.

"Action Spell: _High Dive_!" added Hotene, somersaulting in midair as she swiped the card. "This'll give one of my monsters an extra 1000 ATK 'til the end of my turn!"

 _Rampenta_ bounced on its own trampoline once as its ATK gauge climbed to 2600, and one bounce later, Hotene clambered back onto _Petolphin's_ shoulders in midair, watching with glee from behind the dolphin's rider.

"Let's go, _Rampenta_!" cheered Hotene. "Attack Masu- _chan_ directly!"

Masumi took one look at the penguin, soaring right for her like a guided missile, and started bounding all over the arena, looking for Action Cards high and low with each jump she made. Finally, a flash of light sparkled off to her right, jammed halfway inside one of the pads lining the edges of the mats above her. Masumi crouched, bounced, and raised her hand outward—

—only to fall short by a few feet; she hadn't jumped right, and so the card remained out of her reach. Masumi did her best to try again, but to no avail—and there was no time for a third attempt. Within moments of her landing, she felt a force like a feathery green torpedo slamming right into her side, catapulting her into the air and careening off several trampolines as her Life Point gauge plummeted to 1400.

"One card face-down," Hotene finished, dismounting from _Petolphin_ and just as suddenly bouncing back up to _Rampenta's_ back, "an' I end my turn. _High Dive's_ effect now ends, an' _Rampenta's_ ATK goes back to 1600."

Masumi got to her feet, feeling rather punch-drunk—not simply from the direct attack, but from the energy she'd spent on trying to retrieve that Action Card. She was beginning to understand why Hotene liked to Duel here so often: this arena was practically tailor-made for Duelists of unparalleled athleticism and virtually infinite reserves of energy. Masumi simply didn't have the stamina to Duel in this arena for very long, and she knew it.

 _I've got to get this over with fast before I end up in hospital_ , she thought grimly, rubbing the sweat from her brow, remembering her earlier promise to reevaluate her daily workout routine after today.

Hotene's shark-smile was gone, meanwhile, and the little girl was presently giggling fit to burst, obviously reveling in the reactions she'd caused. "Pretty cool, huh?" she called down to Masumi from her penguin mount. "I betcha never seen anyone do that before!"

Masumi forced herself to laugh through the discomfort in her ribs, and the burning sensation in her muscles. "You … got me good," she panted, taking deep breaths between words. "I didn't think … monsters like that … even _existed_ anymore! I can tell you didn't get to be the number one student in Junior Fusion for nothing, Hotene!"

Hotene cackled. "Ya better get to jumpin' now, Masu- _chan_!" she called out, wagging her finger again as if she was scolding a naughty schoolgirl. "This is the most fun I've had all day—an' our Duel's just getting started!"

"You bet it is!" Masumi called back as she prepared to draw—or at least, _tried_ to call back; she'd just been distracted completely by what was suddenly going on around her.

Something was happening to the Action Field; the entire construction was groaning and creaking, like thousands of mechanical, poorly oiled joints were moving in unison after a long period of disuse. Now the cube-within-a-cube of trampolines was changing; rotating, morphing, and stretching as if it was being turned inside out like a toy rubber tire. The ceiling was getting _closer_ to her, spreading out in every direction until it was twice as big around as what it was supposed to be, and with a jolt of panic Masumi wondered if the arena was collapsing in on them—but that was absurd, it was completely unfair—

Without warning, the ceiling suddenly _vanished_ —springs, pads, and all—revealing another bizarre sight beyond. The pits of foam Masumi knew to border either side of the original arena were still there—but they covered the whole space beyond the mutating space; a vast, hollow sphere of foam rubber, encircling them completely.

 _What in the actual—?!_

The sight was extremely disconcerting for Masumi, who had the sudden impression that the laws of gravity, physics, and logic had taken leave of their cosmic duties in order to watch her Duel with Hotene. _This is_ way _too weird_ , she thought, screwing her eyes shut for a moment so as to avoid being sick at the mind-bending scenery.

 _I've_ really _got to focus here, or both my mind_ and _my body won't make it to tonight_.

Hotene had not stopped cackling with glee ever since the arena began shifting. "I tolja we were just getting started!" she crowed as _Rampenta_ did a few aerials in midair over the transforming terrain, and warping Masumi's sense of direction further still—she had no idea which way was up anymore.

"An' that's why they call it Gravity _Sixteen_!" Hotene said as she and _Rampenta_ floated upside down, while her _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin_ swam in circles around her. Her messy hair did not shift an inch, and it was this, perhaps, that made Masumi the most disorientated about the sudden, all-too-convenient absence of the laws of physics. "It's 'cause the big machines can change the gravity of this place whenever they want—meaning I can jump as high as I want, an' wherever I want!"

 _Change the grav—oh_ , Masumi thought as realization swamped her bewilderment. RSV generators could create Solid Vision _with mass_ —and a basic lesson in physics was that any amount of mass, no matter how big or small, _always_ had its own gravity. It was just a matter of changing the _density_ of that _simulated_ mass, and thus the constant of the _simulated_ gravity of the Action Field, in such a way that it could counteract the gravity of the _real_ world. In theory, such a setup could turn any flat surface into a wall, a floor, or a ceiling, all at a moment's notice.

At least, that was how Masumi saw it. Physics classes were still a few years of schooling away for her yet—and her brain was hurting enough already without having to think much about the physics behind _this_ Action Field.

She bounced to her feet, and noticed that she seemed to be jumping much higher now—almost twice as high as her initial attempt at finding that Action Card; the simulated gravity Hotene had mentioned was starting to kick in. Masumi found it hard to resist laughing as she jumped higher and higher, watching her hair float weightlessly upwards along with her— _huh, this is actually kind of fun_ , she thought—

Then a second dose of comprehension hit her as she realized that she _wasn't falling back down to the floor_ , and that if her suspicions about this Action Field were correct, _the floor might not be the floor any more_. Which meant that if Masumi had just jumped from, say, the _ceiling_ , and the sea of foam under her was now the _floor_ —and the foam floor was looking rather closer to her than it had the first time—

"Whoa!"

"I toldja you hafta start jumpin'!" Hotene called out from above as Masumi was forced to flap her arms like a very ungainly bird to slow her momentum. Thankfully, the reduced gravity ensured that that was enough to skid into one of the stretching walls and avoid plummeting into the depths below. "But ya can't jump too high, or ya might not come back down!"

She cackled again. "Now ya gotta catch me!" And no sooner had the words left her mouth than she, _Rampenta_ , and _Petolphin_ tore through the air, disappearing down one of the platforms jutting from one of the trampoline walls, which was apparently just hollow enough for Hotene's monsters as well—

Masumi cursed as she began leaping after her, taking advantage of the altered gravity to rebound off the walls; but she had to take great care not to jump too high and risk falling into the foam rubber below. On top of that, Hotene was just too fast as long as she had monsters to mount; Masumi knew she needed a way to catch up with the raucous Duelist, or this Duel was going to keep on becoming more insane with each passing second.

"My turn!" she cried, drawing a card that turned out to be— _Oh, very good_ , Masumi thought triumphantly. _That's exactly what I need_. Hotene was about to realize that she'd made a _very_ big mistake in getting rid of her _Paz_.

"First, I Summon _Gem-Knight Alexand_!" she called out, and a knight in silver plate materialized as she rebounded off one of the mats. The armored warrior (Level 4: _ATK 1800_ /DEF 1200) leapt off with a powerful lunge as it grasped Masumi in its arms, using the burst of momentum to carry Masumi further into the air, and _just barely_ squeeze through the opening Hotene had vanished into mere seconds ago.

"I activate _Alexand's_ effect!" she continued, as they flew through the narrow space, and into another arena just like the one they'd left; it, too, was shifting along some unseen axis. Masumi was relieved to see no sign of impending falls into the foam this time—though that was tempered by a distinct lack of Hotene in this arena. "By Tributing this card, I can Special Summon a _Gem-Knight_ Normal Monster from my Deck!"

Several swiped cards later: "I Special Summon _Gem-Knight Crysta_!" No sooner had _Alexand's_ grasp vanished from her shoulders than an even larger knight (Level 7: _ATK 2450_ /DEF 1950) materialized underneath her, propelling itself upward at breakneck speed to grasp her by the chest, carrying her in pursuit of Hotene.

"Still not strong enough!" Hotene taunted her from out of view with another giggle—if Masumi concentrated, she could almost imagine the voice was coming from the opening directly below her. " _Petolphin_ has 2800 DEF—you're gonna need more than a big shiny rock to break through _this_ dolphin!"

Masumi grinned as _Crysta_ took her downwards into yet another shifting cube of trampolines. "How about a big shiny _diamond_ , then?"

"Huh?"

At that moment, they sailed through the arena to find Hotene and her monsters waiting for them. Hotene, Masumi was pleased to see, looked unnerved for the first time she'd seen her; neither her smile nor her sky-blue eyes were looking quite so bright. _Perfect timing_.

"Trap Card activate: _Doublet Fusion_!" she cried, revealing her face-down card. "By banishing Fusion Material Monsters from my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon a _Gem-Knight_ monster from my Extra Deck, and destroy it at the end of my turn! I choose to banish the _Gem-Knights_ _Alexand_ , _Roumaline_ , and _Emeral_!"

The familiar vortex shimmered below her feet as Masumi brought her hands together, putting the full weight of her voice into her incantation:

 **"Gem with facets of day and night! Gem tinged with lightning! Brilliant emerald of good fortune! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"Fusion Summon! My true ace—the dazzling** ** _Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia!_** **"**

A huge shape erupted from the whirlpool of color: an armored knight nearly three times her height. A silver sword, half as long again as Masumi was tall, sliced through the air as a screen displayed (Level 10: _ATK 3400_ /DEF 2000), while diamonds the size of her head, set into her armor, nearly brightened the entire arena on their own.

"I activate _Brilliant Dia's_ effect!" Masumi shouted. "By sending a _Gem-Knight_ monster I control to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a _Gem-Knight_ Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck—bypassing its Summoning conditions!"

"No way!" Hotene's mouth fell open in a perfectly round O.

"Way!" Masumi grinned back at the girl. _She knows I've got the upper hand now!_ "I send _Crysta_ to the Graveyard to Special Summon _Gem-Knight Paz_ in Attack Position!" The silver-white warrior was vaporized—but was just as soon replaced by the same orange-yellow knight Hotene had dispatched earlier (Level 6: _ATK 1800_ /DEF 1800), lightning blades at the ready.

"Battle Phase!" cried Masumi. " _Brilliant Dia_ , attack _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin_!"

"Ha! I activate _Petolphin's_ effect!" Hotene crowed back at her. "I can return this card to my Extra Deck, an' Special Summon two of my banished monsters if I do! I Special Summon _Noble Spirit Beast Petolphin_ in Defense Position an' _Spirit Beast Tamer Wen_ in Attack Position! _Contact Out!_ "

Masumi's mind skidded to a halt at the same time as her charging _Brilliant Dia_ as _Petolphin's_ rider dismounted from the armored dolphin in a graceful, twisting backflip. Both figures were shrinking now, becoming their own separate monsters, with their own separate, respective displays: (Level 4: ATK 0/ _DEF 2000_ ) and (Level 3/ _ATK 1500_ /DEF 1000).

 _All right—let's try this again_ , Masumi thought, her mind quickly adjusting to the unexpected setback of the replay. " _Brilliant Dia_ , attack _Noble Spirit Beast Petolphin_!" The gigantic knight did so, and Masumi felt a stab of pity as the sword cut through the dolphin, splintering it into millions of hard-light shards with a final, mournful _squeak_.

"No fair!" pouted Hotene. "How dare you do that to a poor little dolphin, meanie!"

Masumi couldn't resist a laugh at the absurdity of the childish insult—especially since that "poor little dolphin" had almost singlehandedly wrecked her strategy the previous turn.

"You think I'm being a meanie _now_? Well, I'm not done yet! _Gem-Knight Paz_ , attack _Spirit Beast Tamer Wen_!" _Paz'_ lightning blades flashed once as it stabbed the hologram of the little girl, vaporizing it mere moments later.

" _Paz'_ effect activates!" Masumi continued, even as Hotene slid a few inches off _Rampenta's_ back as her Life Points were whittled to 3700. "Whenever it destroys a monster by battle, you take damage equal to that monster's ATK!"

"Wha—?!" That was all the little girl was able to say before _Paz'_ lightning blades discharged a burst of electricity, blasting Hotene and her green penguin further back. Monster and mistress bounced like a stone across the arena before finally coming to rest against a trampoline wall, the LP gauge of the latter now at 2200.

"Now for _Paz'_ other effect!" said Masumi. "It can attack _twice_ during each Battle Phase—so! _Gem-Knight Paz_ , attack _Noble Spirit Beast Rampenta_!"

A stunned Hotene was too close to _Paz_ ; she had no time to find an Action Card. She could only catapult up the walls and away from _Rampenta_ as the twin daggers sank through its feathers with no resistance at all, shaving off a further 200 LP from Hotene's display—then dropping her counter like a stone to 400 as the shockwave from _Paz'_ second burst of lightning blew her off her feet. Hotene's body bounced like a _pachinko_ ball across several mats and into the wall opposite of _Rampenta's_ demise, where she ricocheted off the trampoline and fell to the springy floor.

"I end my turn," Masumi said. "Due to _Doublet Fusion's_ final effect, _Brilliant Dia_ is destroyed." No sooner had she said this than the giant knight dissolved in a flash—but Masumi wasn't worried that her ace monster had been destroyed so quickly. There were cards in her Deck that could bring back _Brilliant Dia_ easily enough if she needed to. Besides, _Paz_ was still on the field, and she had enough LP that even if it was destroyed next turn—likely, given its low ATK—she would have enough left to form up a counterattack.

That counterattack began to take shape in her mind as she looked at the one card left in her hand— _Gem-Knight Lapis_. If she drew _Gem-Knight Lazuli_ next turn, then she could return _Gem-Knight Fusion_ back to her hand by banishing _Crysta_ from her Graveyard. Then, she could bring out her other _Gem-Knight Lady_ by fusing _Lapis and Lazuli_ , then send another copy of _Lapis Lazuli_ to the Graveyard via its effect—inflicting enough damage to Hotene that Masumi would win without needing to attack!

Her strategy thus formed, she crossed her arms smugly as she watched Hotene slowly get to her feet—

—and proceed to laugh her head off.

"Oh my gosh!" the tiny Duelist chortled breathlessly, rolling about her trampoline as though she'd just been told the funniest joke of all time, as a totally nonplussed Masumi looked on. "I haven't had so much fun Dueling in _weeks_!"

"Fun?!" Masumi spoke the word as if she'd never heard it before. "How can you say something like that?! Our city was attacked, Hotene—we were _invaded!_ People lost friends and family in that fight— _I_ lost friends in that fight!" she added, thinking of Hokuto. "Dueling for fun won't make us forget what happened that day! We can't go on living as if our lives are never going to change!"

The outburst shocked even Masumi, but a single glance told her that Hotene had been even more upset because of it. For the first time, the diminutive Duelist looked sad, and her untidy hair seemed to wilt like dead grass.

"I'm not Dueling to forget about it, Masumi," she said. The Fusion Duelist noted that this was the very first time she'd spoken her actual name. "I'm Dueling so I can _smile_ about it—so I can know I can make it all better. Look!"

She pointed outward to Masumi's right, and for a moment Masumi thought that Hotene was showing her one of the trampolines. Then a flurry of movement beyond made her look past it, and she realized she was pointing at the crowds of kids around Yaiba that had come to watch the Duel. Every single one of them looked beside themselves with excitement—even the expression on Yaiba's face looked like a poorly concealed grin. If Masumi squinted, she swore she could even see the little boy that Hotene had beaten earlier in the front and center of that crowd.

"Betcha they all came to watch us," Hotene said, gazing in their direction. "I hope we gave _them_ a reason to smile, too. We all need a reason to smile, no matter what happened to us today, or yesterday—or _any_ day."

There followed a strange sort of silence that sometimes happens when one hears a child say something that sounds innocent on the surface, but is so unexpectedly thought-provoking that it begs the question as to just how aware children are of the world around them. Masumi was staring at Hotene with a sudden newfound appreciation; this was no longer just some impulsive kid who Dueled solely for the sake of seeking a thrill.

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she was reminded of Sakaki Yuuya, who she'd once suspected of attacking Sawatari that one night, and the thrilling Duel the two boys had put on for the crowds at the Maiami Championship. They didn't simply Duel to have fun—they Dueled so everyone else could have fun, too.

" … So what're we just _standing_ around here for?!" Hotene suddenly cried out, shattering the sudden melancholy mood as she leaped into the air. "We got us a Duel to finish here!"

She bounced up to the platform in the center of the arena, striking a heroic pose as she drew. "My! _Turn!_ "

Hotene's eyes flicked to the card for only a second before she swiped it on her golden blade. "I Summon _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_ in Defense Position!" she declared, as a bearded old man with a ponytail almost as long as the staff he carried materialized in front of her (Level 2: ATK 200/ _DEF 1000_ ).

" _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder's_ effect activates when it's Normal Summoned," Hotene went on, "an' lets me do a second Normal Summon this turn! So I'll Summon _Spirit Beast Tamer Rera_!" Next to the old man appeared a teenaged girl with fiery red hair, a leaf-green cloak, and a carved staff of her own (Level 1: ATK 100/ _DEF 2000_ ).

" _Spirit Beast Tamer Rera's_ effect activates when _it's_ Normal Summoned, too," said Hotene, "an' lets me Special Summon a _Spirit Beast_ monster from my Graveyard! So I revive _Noble Spirit Beast Apelio_ in Attack Position!"

Masumi felt a split second of confusion as an unfamiliar lion cub with dark red fur and a mane and tufted tail that crackled with flames, bounded up the arena to take its place on the other side of the _Elder_ (Level 4: _ATK 1800_ /DEF 200). Then she realized this must have been the monster Hotene had sent from her Deck to the Graveyard earlier, when she'd activated _Rampenta's_ effect on her previous turn. _So she_ meant _to send it there_ , thought Masumi, _and now she's got a_ Spirit Beast Tamer and _a_ Noble Spirit Beast _on her field._

She bit her lip. _That can only mean—_

"I banish my _Spirit Beast Tamer Rera_ an' my _Noble Spirit Beast Apelio_!" declared Hotene, reaching outward with her arms and clenching her fists together as the two monsters drew closer to one another.

 **"When the bond between man and beast is at its strongest,"** she chanted, **"the blazing inferno will be united with the burning hearts of our prime!"**

 ** _"Contact Fusion!_** **Appear!** ** _Tamed Spirit Beast Apelio!"_**

Once again, the monster that leapt from the sudden burst of shining light was the sum of its parts, though much older, bigger, and stronger (Level 6: _ATK 2600_ /DEF 400). Masumi's astonishment at Hotene's achievement of a second _Contact Fusion_ hardly registered as she stared down the result. She barely even came up to the fully-grown lion's knees, and she _really_ did not like the way it was currently growling at her _Gem-Knight Paz_.

 _I hope there's an Action Card around here somewhere_ , she thought.

Hotene gasped yet again. "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot!" she cried. "Trap Card, activate: _Combination with the Spirit Beast!_ "

Masumi felt her heart skip a beat—she'd completely forgotten Hotene had Set a card at the end of her last turn! And she was willing to bet three to two that Hotene hadn't forgotten about that card at all, but was only trying to put on an act for the kids watching.

 _Maybe she's not as bad at bluffing as I thought_ , she mused appreciatively.

"If I control any _Spirit Beast_ monsters," Hotene explained to her, "I can activate this card to destroy as many cards on the field as I want, up to the number of _Spirit Beasts_ I control!"

Masumi's appreciative mood dropped like a stone and into oblivion.

She looked round for an Action Card, but _Paz_ had already been vaporized by the time she'd turned her head to look—leaving nothing standing between her and a lion that looked as though it was literally burning with anger.

"You know what happens now, kids!" giggled Hotene. " _Tamed Spirit Beast Apelio_ —attack Masu- _chan_ directly!"

But Masumi was already gone, not even bothering to bounce her way along the never-ending walls and floors and tunnels of shifting trampolines. She sprinted in a zigzag like a rabbit fleeing a wolf, eyes scanning every inch of mats and pads—even checking to see if any Action Cards were wedged in the springs underneath—but to no avail.

 _Apelio_ , meanwhile, bore down on her with the speed of a freight train on flaming paws, soaring dozens of feet into the air with each leap it made; Hotene was seated behind its rider, her incessant giggling louder and shriller than ever as her Solid Vision steed pursued her through the arena. Masumi jumped high, diving within a hollow platform that she hoped led to another arena—

Several things happened at that moment. Masumi felt a _twinge_ in her stomach as she fell _up_ , _sideways_ , and then _down_ again, feeling the simulated gravity take hold of her body as she crossed over. She grimaced at the stitch; she'd overexerted herself fleeing Hotene's incoming direct attack, and wouldn't be running any foot races for very long while it was eating away at her.

As Masumi spread out her legs, preparing to jump, she saw the far wall—or at least, the endless foam the far wall had concealed before—vanishing into thin air with the continuously shifting geometry of the arena.

And in between, nestled half under a thick pad three trampolines away—the telltale glinting light of an Action Card.

Masumi jumped for it right as Hotene, _Apelio_ and all, came barreling out of the tunnel she'd just left. She knew she could make it in time, though; the muscles in her legs were screaming at her after having used them for much longer than she was used to, but she was close enough to the Action Card that it wouldn't matter—three more bounces—two more—she was nearly there—one— _please let this be the right card_ , she thought—her fingers grabbed hold—

And her mouth split in a smile as she spun around.

"Action Magic: _Avoid_!" Masumi screamed as she swiped the card. "I can target 1 attacking monster this turn, and negate that attack!"

That only made Hotene giggle even harder. "Nuh- _uh_!" she shot back. " _Tamed Spirit Beast Apelio's_ effect! Whenever it attacks, it's unaffected by card effects of any kind—even Action Cards!"

 _No!_

That was all Masumi was able to think before _Apelio_ finally charged her down, ramming headlong into her at a speed that—if it were anything _but_ Solid Vision—would have put her in traction for months. Masumi hardly even heard the beeping of her Life Point counter plunging to zero as she was blasted backward with a scream—straight into the sea of foam.

It felt like landing on a very big, soft, and springy bed, a part of her would think later on as she plummeted back-first into the pit—with _very_ itchy sheets that devoured anyone who slept in them, big or small. For a very long moment, Masumi's entire world was reduced to nothing but a soft but choking ocean of brilliantly colored cubes the size of her head, each one smelling oppressively of dust and disinfectant.

The Duel thus concluded, the Action Field now dissolved, and the maddening geometries of the arena now reasserted themselves back to their original form. A shrill scream of delight from up above was all the warning Masumi had before Hotene plopped down beside her, no longer giggling like a lunatic on account of breathing almost as heavily as she was.

"That … was … _awesome!_ "

It took a long moment for Masumi's exhausted brain to process that that had _not_ been Hotene's voice. In fairness, however, her mind had been otherwise occupied as she began clambering to the surface. She had _lost_ , after all, to a girl she barely even knew, who used the same Summoning methods as she did—yet in a way even she'd never even considered. On top of that, Masumi had needlessly taxed her body and mind in what was surely the _craziest_ Action Duel she'd ever taken part in—and likely ever would. There was no doubt she'd be sore throughout all of next week as a result. But through it all, she'd found what she'd come for, and learned what she'd needed to learn. Perhaps not as much as she would like … but if she was lucky, it just might be enough.

Most importantly of all, though, she had _loved every single moment of it_.

She finally surfaced from the foam with a huge gasp of air to find Hotene's grinning face inches from her own, her hair messier than ever, if that was possible. Any other moment, this might have scared her, but Masumi was beyond scaring now. No nightmare or _Shaddoll_ that Ito could throw at her would ever stand up to this.

"I didn't know just how much I needed that!" Masumi panted, coughing dust out of her mouth with every other word she spoke. She couldn't hold it in any further—she threw back her head and laughed. Not a loud laugh, or even a long one—but it was the first time she'd remembered laughing like this all week.

In that moment of euphoria, the Fusion user felt as though the whole world had been opened up to her; nothing was impossible anymore. For that brief moment of time, her plan's chances of success felt not only possible, but _easy_.

"Tolja, Masu- _chan_ ," chirped Hotene from beside her. "I tolja we all need a reason to smile."

Masumi could only nod her head in tired agreement. "You were right," she said breathlessly. "I shouldn't have to forget what happened the day we lost Hokuto—but I shouldn't have to dwell on it, either. From one Fusion Duelist to another, Hotene, that was a great thing you did for me today. Thanks for that."

She pursed her lips in mock severity. "Just don't think winning one single Duel against me makes you _better_ ," she winked.

Hotene's cheeky grin didn't even waver. "I know," she said. "So I'll just hafta beat you again when I'm _older_!"

Masumi responded by flinging a sizable chunk of foam into her cackling face. "You wish!" That only made the tiny Duelist laugh harder, and Masumi couldn't resist cracking another grin herself even as Hotene flung the soft cube right back at her.

"So," she eventually said. "Do you still feel like helping me out, Hotene? I was going to meet up with a couple more people later today, and I'm hoping I can make friends with them like I did with you today. Are you in?"

The little girl shrugged. "Sure! Can they all come here so I can beat them, too?"

Masumi tittered. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now. But I'm almost certain this won't be the last time I'll be Dueling today. Stay close to me, and you might just learn something."

Hotene blew a wet raspberry. "Phooey. Okay, I'll come with ya—but first ya got to do me a favor!"

 _I suppose it can't make my body feel any worse_ , thought Masumi. "Sure. What kind of favor?"

She regretted asking the question almost as soon as the words left her mouth—for the smile that now adorned Hotene's face could have put diamonds to shame.

* * *

 **A/N: We've all met that one kid in our lives: annoying yet somehow endearing, chronically sugar-hyperactive to boot—and with each passing moment, they always seem to get more energetic while you get more fatigued. I actually think I** ** _was_** **that one kid back in the day; by all accounts, I was a right terror when I was Hotene's age. Maybe that's why I found her as fun to write as I did—along with this Duel.**

 **If you want a better idea of how** ** _Gravity Sixteen_** **works, by the way, do an Image Search for "tesseract gif" and let your mind wander from there. I was tempted to reproduce the arena in 3D, but the modeling software I have on my computer is either so old or so cheap that it hasn't got any animation options at all.**

 **Rate and review at your leisure, and thanks for reading! – K**

 **(P.S.: no truth to the rumor I am making it my life's goal to patent the four-dimensional trampoline park)**


	6. VI

VI

Hotene's "favor", as it turned out, involved using up the rest of the time on her two-hour jumping ticket before she would go anywhere with Masumi and Yaiba—and more importantly, since Masumi had lost their Duel, the tiny Duelist had stubbornly insisted the Fusion user had no choice but to join her. Not wanting to lose her first recruit as quickly as she'd gained her, Masumi had reluctantly agreed—though she'd had to put her foot down when Hotene wanted the recuperating Yaiba to join her too; medical orders were medical orders, after all.

So it was—almost an hour and a half later—that a very winded, _very_ sore Masumi finally tottered out of Trampo-Land on wobbly legs and an adrenaline high she hadn't felt in a long time. Yaiba was beside her, using one hand to support his stumbling friend, and his other hand to place a call to Hotene's parents on her Duel Disk, explaining the situation as best he could. Hotene herself, meanwhile, skipped behind them as though the past two hours hadn't tired her in the slightest.

After a few minutes, Yaiba returned the Duel Disk to its owner. "So—I told your mom and dad that Masumi and I would be watching you for the day," he said to Hotene. "For how long, I don't know"—he stole a look at Masumi, who averted her eyes—"but I did tell them we'd call and let them know when to expect you. That okay with you?"

Hotene bobbed her head enthusiastically. "Uh-huh!"

"Awesome. So … Masumi." Yaiba adopted a concerned tone in his words as he turned in her direction. "Do you want to tell me exactly _what_ you were trying to prove back there?"

While he spoke, he began picking bits of sterilized foam dust out of her hair and clothes. It was a sign of Masumi's weary state that she raised no objections to this—or, indeed, a sufficiently large _harisen_. "I know Hotene's a good Fusion Duelist," Yaiba said, "but you're supposed to be the _best_ Fusion Duelist. It isn't like you to lose so quickly."

Masumi, through the fog of her fatigue, needed several moments to reply. "I … wasn't worried about winning or losing," she yawned. "I started seeing one of the counselors at LDS yesterday. She told me this morning I should find something to do to take my mind off things. This wasn't what I originally had in mind, but I'm still glad I did it." She managed a weak smile.

Yaiba said nothing in reply, though he clearly looked grateful that Masumi was addressing these issues of hers—especially after he'd been unfortunate enough to catch her near that breakdown two days previously.

Perhaps anxious to change the subject, he thumbed over his shoulder. "What about Hotene?" He glanced back periodically as though he was expecting the little girl behind them to sprout wings between skips any second. "What does she have to do with this?"

Masumi sighed, somewhat annoyed in spite of her exhaustion. "I can't really say right now," she groaned. "I promise I'll tell you later, if everything works out the way I want it to. Right now, though, there's someone else I want to see—and you're the best person I know to find him, Yaiba."

Yaiba raised an eyebrow. "Who would that be?"

Masumi assumed a vague expression—not such an easy thing to do with how weary she felt, but she didn't want Yaiba to get too suspicious of the way she was acting. "That exchange student you started practicing with," she replied. "From our branch school in Shanghai—Shen, was his name?"

She hadn't made any connection between the two until a long time after Wendy had told her this Li Shen character was a Synchro Duelist as well, and so might have Yaiba as a schoolmate for several classes. It stood to reason that the two had Dueled at least a few times before. Whether or not they made a habit of it, Masumi did not know.

Judging from the way Yaiba's jaw had just dropped, however, it seemed that question had just been answered: he did indeed know Shen, and quite well, too. "W-what?!" he spluttered. "There's no way you're going to see _him_ in this condition! Not after what I just saw you go through against Hotene!"

"I have enough money left over for some bus fare," Masumi explained as she checked her pockets. "We can ride to wherever he is this time of day—I'll catch my breath on the way over."

Yaiba clearly had some objections to this, but Masumi could be stubborn when she wanted to be. "All right," he grunted. "There's a plaza at the north side of downtown. Shen's usually at a nearby shrine this time of day."

He pulled out his orange Duel Disk. "I'll call and let him know—we could probably catch him if we leave now."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, they had boarded a bus that would take them to their next destination. Masumi didn't take mass transit on a regular basis; the seats weren't especially comfortable, and Maiami City was a rather more pleasant sight to take in on foot, she thought. However, she'd been on her feet enough for one day—and for a person who'd done as much physical activity as Masumi had today, any seat, no matter how uncomfortable, was a welcome sight to see.

Shen hadn't answered Yaiba's message since they'd boarded the bus. According to Yaiba, this wasn't unexpected; indeed, he claimed the lack of response all but confirmed he was at the shrine. Shen, evidently, was not one to leave the calls of a classmate unanswered in any other situation.

No one spoke for most of the ride through town; Masumi, slumped in her seat like a deflated balloon, occasionally sighed in contentment as she felt the feeling slowly return to her legs. Yaiba was mostly seen peering out of the window, having made a tactful decision to not bother his friend while she recuperated. Hotene busied herself with making silly faces at the mother and infant seated opposite them, garnering annoyed looks from the former, and the occasional giggle from the latter. The flighty Duelist, however, quickly tired of this, and soon joined Yaiba in looking out at the passing shops and streets, acting rather like a magpie as she glared intently at whatever held her interest in the brief seconds she deemed it worthy of her attention.

At length, Masumi stretched out her limbs until the joints _cricked_ , and gave a quick shake of her head to bring herself back to reality. "So, Yaiba," she yawned. "I know this Shen character uses Synchro, so that tells me right off that you know him better than me. Do you have a lot of classes with him?"

"I wouldn't say a _lot_ of them," shrugged Yaiba. "He turned seventeen not too long ago, so he's got a few years of experience on me. That's mostly why I practice against him a lot—that gap in experience. I may Duel better, but Shen's been Dueling _longer_. I actually went to meet up with him after I walked you home the day before last."

Masumi remembered Yaiba saying something about practice that day as they'd come to her house. _Small world_. "What can you tell me about him?" she asked. "No details—I just want to know what to expect before I see him."

Yaiba gave her a funny look before he answered her question. "Well," he said, "the first thing you should know is that LDS teaches things a little _differently_ in Shanghai than they do at their other branches. They're very strict, very physical—but very controlled in the way they teach."

Masumi had a sudden mental image of the courtyard of a very secluded school, filled with hundreds of prospective Duelists in ranks and files, each one performing _kung fu_ -style leaps, kicks and punches in unison. She'd never seen Ryouzanpaku's campus with her own eyes, but she imagined that was how the reclusive Duel School looked and operated—and going by Yaiba's explanation, LDS Shanghai sounded like it was structured the same way.

"Not quite," said Yaiba, when Masumi voiced her comparison. "About the only thing that keeps Shen's school from being the same as Ryouzanpaku is that _they_ don't physically assault the opposing Duelist. That's actually a point of contention between the two schools, believe it or not. I remember a few days ago, when I told Shen what happened during my Duel with Kachidoki. He was so angry, he nearly broke a sluice shutter in half—and Shen isn't usually one to get angry. His _sifu_ made him run an extra mile for that as punishment."

The notion of such a harsh sentence prompted a wince from Masumi, who was unable to imagine running even a single mile on a frequent basis, let alone an _extra_ one. "All that, just for getting angry?" she said incredulously.

"No—for nearly breaking that sluice shutter," replied the Synchro user. "That's not an easy thing for his Duel School to replace. Especially since the darned thing weighed about half a metric ton," he added.

Masumi, who had been preparing to ask what exactly a sluice shutter was, and what it looked like, felt the question die in her throat as she sat bolt upright in shock, nearly knocking Hotene from her perch.

"Half a—?!" she blurted out, her mind trying to assign physical form to a living thing capable of damaging something so heavy. It was very hard work. "When you say he _nearly broke_ it … "

"Like I said earlier," Yaiba remarked, "strict, physical, and _controlled_."

He spoke no further on the subject, and Masumi decided his explanation didn't help much. _Maybe it's one of those things I'm better off seeing for myself_. She forced the mental imagery out of her mind so as to focus on her plans for today. This too, however, was very hard work.

"Aside from that," Yaiba was saying in the meantime, "Shen's one of the most loyal people I've ever met. Back when he took second place at the All-China Cup last month, one of the first Duelists he beat didn't take his loss so well—sobbed his eyes out in front of fifty thousand people. Shen spent so much time with the guy afterward that he nearly lost his next Duel by default." Off Masumi's raised eyebrow, he added, "He risked disqualification because he wanted to make sure his opponent got _better_. You don't see that enough in Duelists these days."

Masumi had to agree; she could think of a couple Duelists who could have used an ounce of this loyalty after losing. "He should have come to the Maiami Championship."

"He actually did qualify for Youth Division after the Cup," Yaiba told her. "Pulled out at the last minute, though. Officially, there was a 'scheduling conflict', but Shen told me later he wanted to see the next tournament his new friend Dueled in. Just a small little thing in Ishikawa Prefecture—which apparently the guy ended up winning."

Masumi raised her eyebrow higher still, impressed.

"Now, I don't doubt Shen will still want to Duel you first," said Yaiba," but I'm almost certain he'll want to help you after that—which reminds me." He leaned in close, as if confiding a very personal secret to Masumi.

"I don't know if you were planning on Dueling him from the start, Masumi," he muttered. "But there's two other things you have to keep in mind about Shen. Firstly, no matter what, you need to watch _every_ move he makes."

The Fusion user gulped. "And the second?"

Yaiba's face was deadly serious. "If you get distracted by even the slightest thing, he _will_ punish you for it," he said. "The moment the Duel starts, _do not_ let him out of your sight—not even for a second."

This information left Masumi suddenly uneasy, and for the rest of the bus ride, she wondered just how observant of this Shen person she would have to be to pull off a win against him.

* * *

The three kids exited the bus twenty minutes later at the plaza Yaiba had described. It was nothing especially remarkable—merely a wide length of laid brick, lawns on either side cut with surgical precision, and double rows of blossoming cherry trees under which people lounged and played. Masumi found a strange sort of beauty about the place, though; the overall feeling wasn't as eye-catching as a gemstone, but rather more subtle in spite of it.

Hotene's wide eyes took in the scene with gusto. "Pretty … "

At the other end of the brick walkway stood a squat, two-story building that Masumi took to be the shrine where Yaiba had claimed Shen would be. Like the plaza that surrounded it, this had an air of understated elegance about it as well. There was no indication of ostentatious wealth or boasting within its architecture, only a sublime simplicity in the sloped roofs and off-white walls of the structure.

Yaiba now approached the steps of the shrine, and before Masumi could stop him, he'd inflated his lungs to their fullest. " _Hey, Shen!_ " bellowed the Synchro user at the top of his voice. " _Come out here! It's me!_ "

Masumi, having no _harisen_ to smack Yaiba upside the head with, settled for giving him a withering look at his rude behavior. "Would you keep your voice down?" she said severely. "We're at a _temple_ —the least you could do is be more respectful of other people!"

" _What_ other people?" Yaiba asked, gesturing around to show that, sure enough, very few passersby were nearby, and those that were didn't even turn around at the three kids. "Hardly anyone comes here this time of day. Besides, Shen's still not answering my calls—this is the only way I know I can get his attention."

The rather annoyed Fusion Duelist was about to say that she was _quite sure_ there were a number of other ways to do so, but Yaiba had already resumed roaring, " _Shen!_ _I've got friends with me who want to meet you!_ "

"There is no need to shout, Toudou Yaiba. I am here."

Masumi, normally observant enough to know when someone was approaching her, jumped back in alarm from the calm voice that had appeared _right above_ her left shoulder, quite out of nowhere. But almost as soon as her feet hit the ground again, she felt her body relax, though her heart was still racing madly; the source of the voice, now that she had a good look at him, was quickly recognizable as Li Shen.

At first glance, nothing about the Synchro Duelist suggested he could break half-ton sluice shutters (whatever those were) with his bare hands. Shen did not have the imposing physique of, say, Strong Ishijima—or even Gongenzaka Noboru, Yaiba's erstwhile pupil. He stood roughly at eye-level with Hokuto, but was slightly broader at the chest and shoulders—though it was hard to tell with the orange, single-sleeved tunic that hung loosely about his tanned, completely hairless body. Masumi's eyes, however, so used to spotting details and impurities within precious stones, easily spotted the tightly corded sinews lining Shen's crossed arms. Instinctively, she knew this mere boy was a _lot_ stronger than he looked.

Masumi blinked, and suddenly, as if to prove her impressions, Shen was _gone_ —vanished like smoke on the breeze. She turned round in a full circle, seeing Yaiba rolling his eyes while desperately trying to conceal the smug grin on his face—but no sign of Shen. Hotene, in what must have been a first, was completely lost for words. Her eyes were wider than the average _Duel Monsters_ card as she stared at the spot where Shen had been just a second ago.

The Fusion Duelist felt as though a similar look of disbelief had been plastered on her own face as Yaiba's earlier warning came to mind. _How the heck am I supposed to keep my eyes on someone that fast?_

Yaiba merely sighed as the Synchro user reappeared on the top stair of the temple entrance with hardly so much as a zephyr, arms still folded tightly at his chest. "Do you _have_ to pull that trick every time I bring someone new with me, Shen?" Yaiba said hoarsely. "I keep telling you it scares people—that one of these days you're going to freak out somebody's kid, and _then_ what will people think of LDS?"

Shen's dark eyes, almost invisible under the prominent, hawk-like brow of his bald head, flicked to Masumi for an instant. "There is a difference between fear and terror," he said sagely. His words carried the stilted formality of a nonnative speaker who hadn't yet been assimilated into the culture around him. Within his awkward enunciation, however, lay a tone of confidence and surety that Masumi found highly infectious.

"Your first lesson, Koutsu Masumi," Shen spoke as he now fully turned in her direction. " _Fear_ is nothing more than a tool, to be mastered and wielded by capable hands … but those who feel terror _become_ nothing more than tools, to be mastered and wielded by _in_ capable hands."

He made a polite little bow. "I am Li Shen. You have been looking for me." It was not a question, and it took a rather bewildered Masumi several moments before she remembered why she had come here in the first place.

"I need your help with something," she said, choosing her words more carefully than usual—Shen already seemed like a very shrewd boy—perhaps even _too_ shrewd; Masumi could feel those eyes of his boring right into her brain.

She did her best to ignore this, and pressed on. "I learned about you from Yaiba on my way here. He told me how you have a great deal of loyalty to your friends. You're a friend of Yaiba's, and so am I. Would this mean I'm your friend, too?"

Shen did not even blink. "You wish to find out if I would be as loyal to you as I am to Yaiba," he said. "But to what end? Why ask me for my loyalty, when I do not know _why_ I should give it to you?"

Silence reigned while Masumi processed the question. _He's definitely suspecting something's off about this_ , she thought. "Like I said before, I need your help. I can't really tell you more than that now. I said as much to Yaiba, and again to Hotene over here." She indicated the two kids either side of her; Hotene gave a brief, enthusiastic wave and a smile that somehow didn't dislocate her jaw. "I lost a Duel to Hotene earlier. Yaiba came with me, too—not because of a Duel, but because we trust each other."

She took out her Duel Disk. "I'm prepared to Duel you for your loyalty too, Shen. But no matter who wins or loses, I won't force you to follow me with this—it's up to you where to go from here. Hotene and Yaiba weren't forced to, either. Both of them came with me of their own free will—because they're _my_ friends, too."

The dark eyes of Shen narrowed less than a millimeter. They searched left and right, presumably looking for an answer from the students flanking Masumi.

Yaiba held up his arms defensively. "Don't look at me—this was all her idea. We're just along for the ride."

 _If he only knew_ , thought Masumi. Shen, however, scrutinized Masumi for another long moment before turning to look behind his shoulder.

" _Bèi fādiàn jī juédòu!_ " the Synchro user barked in rapid Chinese to someone she could not see, as he reached inside his tunic. Then, turning back to Masumi: "Very well, then. We will find out exactly how prepared you _really are_."

No sooner had he said this than Shen had withdrawn a snow-white Duel Disk from his sleeve, securing it to the wrist of his bare left arm. The blade that appeared along his forearm was exactly the same shade of orange as the blade of Masumi's own Duel Disk, which she was now fixing to her own wrist.

As her blade hummed to life, the Fusion Duelist stared across her imminent opponent, suddenly uneasy. Shen had made no change in posture or in tone of voice, yet something about him was different from before. The confidence that now radiated from him was almost palpable, like the heat of a warm fire.

"Action Field selected: _Floating Cloud Fortress_ ," chimed an electronic voice from a loudspeaker Masumi couldn't see. Judging from the way the people throughout the plaza were suddenly scrambling about, though, it seemed they had heard it too, and were either moving to find a better view of the Duel to come—or to get out of the way.

Masumi only had a moment's notice before the Action Field unexpectedly answered her unspoken question.

The ground suddenly _heaved_ under her feet, unseating her completely—and kept on heaving, as though she'd been standing on a rocket that was just now blasting off. Her surprised scream was forced back into her throat as she tumbled to the ground for the second time today, borne upwards at breakneck speed by a wave of hard light. Shen, amazingly, stayed rooted to the ground, arms still folded, apparently unaffected by the ascent.

Suddenly, almost as soon as it had begun, the upheaval ceased, and the digital dust cleared. Masumi got to her feet, and felt her jaw drop when she saw the scenery that lay beyond: an ancient, sprawling temple that might be found atop any large mountain in the region, surrounded by pine trees and sheer, rocky crags. Of Maiami City and the area beyond there was no sign—only a mass of white cloud that concealed what appeared to be a _very_ long way down.

Masumi took in the sights with an appreciative eye. Once she'd gotten over the initial surprise of the Action Field, and the admittedly stunning view it provided, it wasn't anything _especially_ unique—although she suspected her previous experience with _Gravity Sixteen_ would have made Dueling on _any_ Action Field after that one a tough act to follow indeed.

"It is impressive, yes?" She spun round to see Shen standing on a brick walkway half-covered with pine needles, between her and the temple proper. "My Duel School was able to journey to the great mountains that border China to the south, and they persuaded the _sifu_ of a temple there to reproduce it as _this_."

He swept his arms outward, indicating the scenery. "Normally, this Field is only used for peaceful meditation," he said. "We have other, more appropriate Fields to hand for such things as Duels. But this will suffice for today—and I will confess to having a certain … _fondness_ for this Field."

"I can see why," replied Masumi as she admired the trees—even the sound of the wind, whistling in the pine trees and mingling with the birds that sang in their branches, had been faithfully recreated. "It's very peaceful here. I wouldn't mind living in a place this quiet."

" _I_ used to," Shen told her, to the Fusion user's surprise. "At the foot of the mountain where this temple was built, there lies a village. I was born there, and taken to the temple soon after. For over ten years, the _sifu_ there taught me almost everything I know today. When I was accepted to your school in China, I knew I had to repay my _sifu_ for the knowledge they had bestowed upon me. What you see around you is only the beginning of this gift—to preserve my memories of that place for all time."

 _Well, if that isn't loyalty_ , an impressed Masumi thought, _then I don't know what is_. It was already apparent to her that Yaiba's assertion had been true: Shen was a Duelist of true dedication, regardless of whether it was to a single boy, or an entire monastery. She knew this trait would serve her well in what she was planning on doing later.

But she still needed to prove her own worth to him—and that would prove a much harder task.

Shen now assumed a position that Masumi vaguely recognized from her childhood martial arts lessons as the _dragon stance_. He stared intently at her, unmoving, unblinking. It wasn't unlike watching Kachidoki Isao, she decided.

Several seconds passed before she realized Shen might be expecting her to respond in kind. So she did, slowly moving into what she guessed was a very poor _crane stance_. The muscles of her legs, already tired from all the time she'd spent with Hotene, immediately began to ache as she held the stance, staring back at Shen with equal resolve.

Fortunately, she didn't have to hold it for very long. "DUEL!" both opponents bellowed.

Shen had jumped away from Masumi even before the cluster of Action Cards above them had fully dispersed. His leap sent him some ten feet high and another twenty back, yet he landed on the bricks without a sound.

On any other day, Masumi might have been astounded by the superhuman feat of agility. Today, however, it was little more than a distraction. Her focus had been on the Action Cards that had been scattered across the field; immediately, her keen eyes had locked onto one of them.

"I'll be going first!" she cried out as she sprinted in pursuit of the card, drawing five cards from her Deck as she did so. The Action Card wasn't hard to find; Masumi had chosen it specifically because her keen eyes had deduced it would be the nearest one to her location. Having an extra leg up on Shen from the very beginning would be crucial.

She swiped up the card from the section of brick where it had landed, and within moments of reading it had thanked the powers that be for an unexpected burst of amazing luck. "I activate the Action Spell: _Extra Onslaught!_ " she yelled. "This lets me draw a card for every monster I Special Summon from the Extra Deck this turn, in exchange for taking 500 damage per Summoned monster at the end of my turn!"

No student of the Leo Duel School—for whom Extra Deck Summoning was a specialty—could have asked for more than this, thought Masumi. She took a look at the cards in her hand, and instantly knew her luck was about to get even better—perhaps enough so that any damage she suffered from _Extra Onslaught's_ effect might not even matter.

"Next, I'll activate _Gem-Knight Fusion!_ " she said. "I can fuse any _Gem-Knights_ in my hand or on my field to perform a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse the _Gem-Knight Obsidia_ and _Gem-Knight Saphire_ in my hand!"

She clasped her hands together as two armored knights—one black, another bluish-white—rose into the air and into the vortex of color above her.

 **"Sharp jet-black darkness! Stone of selfless sacrifice!"** recited Masumi. **"In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"Fusion Summon! The one who pursues honor!** ** _Gem-Knight Aquamarine_** **!"**

The eight-foot-tall knight cracked the bricks beneath his feet as he landed in front of Masumi (Level 6: ATK 1400/ _DEF 2600_ ), and brandished its bladed shield at an unperturbed Shen.

"Since I Summoned a monster from the Extra Deck, I draw a card due to _Extra Onslaught's_ effect!" continued Masumi, doing so in a trice. She took a look at the card in her hand—and yet again, she wondered how her luck could possibly get any better.

"Now for _Gem-Knight Obsidia's_ effect!" she said. "If it's sent from my hand to the Graveyard, I can target a Level 4 or lower Normal monster in my Graveyard, and Special Summon it to my field! I target _Saphire_!"

The bluish-white knight from before now took up position to the left of _Aquamarine_ (Level 4: ATK 0/ _DEF 2100_ )—but Masumi hadn't even started her turn yet. "Next, the other effect of the _Gem-Knight Fusion_ in my Graveyard! By banishing 1 _Gem-Knight_ monster in my Graveyard, I can return it back to my hand! I banish _Obsidia_!"

One swiped card later, and her favorite card was back in her hand. "That's _one_ Fusion Monster," she said with a daring smile. "Let's go for _two!_ I activate _Gem-Knight Fusion_ again! This time, I'll fuse a _second_ _Gem-Knight Obsidia_ along with the _Gem-Knight Roumaline_ in my hand!"

Two more knights encased in plate armor—the black _Obsidia_ she had just drawn from _Extra Onslaught_ , and the yellow _Roumaline_ —leapt into another surging tornado of light above her head, while Masumi began to chant:

 **"Sharp jet-black darkness! Gem tinged with lightning! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"Fusion Summon! The one who pursues victory!** ** _Gem-Knight Paz_** **!"**

 _Paz_ burst forth from the funnel, golden armor glinting brilliantly in the sun. He landed with a _clang_ of metal on brick as he drew himself to his full height, staring down Shen with a growl (Level 6/ _ATK 1800_ /DEF 1800). The Synchro user still had yet to be rattled; he stood there with his arms crossed, waiting for Masumi to end her turn.

"Because of _Extra Onslaught's_ effect, I now draw another card!" Masumi drew her top card so forcefully that she nearly popped her elbow. That card turned out to be … _oh, well. I guess a third_ Obsidia _was too much to ask for_ , she thought with a grimace as she added the card to her hand. _But I can make do with this, if I lose any firepower—but I'll still have plenty of it to hit Shen with, no matter what he does_.

"My second _Obsidia's_ effect activates!" she cried. "Since it was sent from my hand to the Graveyard, I can target a Level 4 or lower Normal monster in my Graveyard, and Special Summon it to my field! I target _Roumaline_!"

She paused for a brief breath as the sunshine-yellow knight appeared before her in a burst of light (Level 4: _ATK 1600_ /DEF 1800), before continuing on: "Now I'll activate _Gem-Knight Fusion's_ effect once more—I banish my second _Obsidia_ to return it back to my hand!"

Shen's brow rose several millimeters—the first reaction he'd ever shown. Masumi thought she knew what he was thinking; idly, she wondered if any other Duelist in history had ever been able to duplicate what she was attempting.

"I activate _Gem-Knight Fusion!_ " she screamed for the third time. " _This_ time, I'll fuse the _Gem-Knight Saphire_ on my field and the _Gem-Knight Ganet_ in my hand for yet _another_ Fusion Summon!"

The spiraling maelstrom that opened at her feet consumed the blue _Saphire_ in an instant. The image of a knight in fiery orange armor leapt in after it as Masumi's declaration echoed through the Action Field:

 **"Stone of selfless sacrifice! Crystal of burning resolve! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"** ** _Fusion Summon!_** **The one who pursues justice!** ** _Gem-Knight Rubyz_** **!"**

For the third time in as many minutes, the glowing whirlpool disgorged a massive knight. This one's armor was dyed a vivid scarlet, and a blue cape billowed in the wind as _Rubyz_ brandished a battleaxe at Shen (Level 6: _ATK 2500_ /DEF 1300).

Masumi exhaled as _Rubyz_ assumed an attack stance. She was feeling more elated than she'd ever felt in a while, even during the time she'd spent with Hotene. It felt _amazing_ to cut loose every once in a while, she thought—to show a Duelist just how good at Fusion Summoning she _really_ was.

"Due to _Extra Onslaught's_ effect, I draw a third card now," she said. Her fingers trembled with the pleasure of her success as her hand moved to her Deck. Really, though, it didn't matter what she drew at this point; it would be worth it after what she'd just done. Even the 1500 damage she was now staring in the face was worth it to her now.

Masumi didn't even look at the card until she'd added it to the one she'd previously drawn from _Extra Onslaught_ , and felt her lips curl up in a brief smile as she stared at _Doublet Fusion_. _That'll be perfect for next turn_ , she thought.

 _All that's left is to wait and see what Shen will do_.

* * *

Off to the side, Hotene and Yaiba spectated the Duel from the hard-light stairs of the temple as Masumi Set the remaining two cards in her hand to end her turn.

Suddenly, three bursts of lightning erupted directly where the Fusion Duelist was standing, one right after the other. Yaiba took these to be the manifestation of _Extra Onslaught's_ damaging effect; his guess was confirmed after a quick check of Masumi's LP gauge, which now read 2500. Masumi, however, didn't look too shaken by the effect or by her sudden deficit—in fact, she looked almost beside herself with glee, and Yaiba couldn't blame her.

"Three Fusion Monsters on her first turn … " Hotene whispered, an awestruck look on her face. "Just like that … "

Yaiba couldn't resist a dig at the tiny Duelist beside him. "You were saying something earlier about being the best Fusion Duelist at LDS?"

Hotene's only reply was to make a face at him, but Yaiba paid it little mind; he was concentrating on the Duel.

 _Masumi has the perfect mix of attack and defense_ , he mused. _If Shen brings out a Synchro Monster, she can destroy it with_ Rubyz, _and since it can pierce, he'll be damaged no matter how he Summons it. Masumi could even Release_ Paz _to boost its attack strength if she needs to. If Shen leaves a monster behind when he Synchro Summons, then both monsters can punish him for it. His Main Deck monsters aren't all that strong; even that_ Roumaline _over there should be enough to protect against the strongest of those._

 _Then there's_ Aquamarine. His eyes fell on the monster closest to him. _If that gets destroyed, Masumi can just get rid of the card that did the deed—or something else that's between her and Shen. She could even Release_ that _for_ Rubyz' _effect, too, and activate its effect that way._

He nodded in approval as he analyzed the field. _This wasn't just a power play_ , he realized. _She's sizing up Shen—waiting for him to make his move. I don't know what's going on in her head right now, but she's a lot more serious than she was against Hotene._ That said, her field presence had come at a price; Yaiba was hoping that Shen—for once—wouldn't immediately take advantage of it. Even if he did, though …

 _It's not the same as a win_ , he thought, _but I think Masumi has what it takes to pull it off this time_.

* * *

"My turn." Shen drew his card so quickly that for an instant, his right arm appeared to vanish from reality. "First, I will activate the Continuous Spell Card: _Dracomet Leyline_. Then, I will Normal Summon the Tuner monster _Jiaotu, Dracomet of Darkness_."

A serpentine, purplish-gray creature emerged from out of thin air and in front of Shen (Level 2: _ATK 0_ /DEF 2000). Masumi was briefly taken aback by the act of summoning a 0 ATK monster in Attack Position, but since it was a Tuner monster as well, she highly doubted it would be staying on the field for very long.

"Since I control no other monsters, I may activate the effect of _Jiaotu_ ," Shen explained. "I may send two _Dracomet_ cards from my hand to the Graveyard, then Special Summon two more _Dracomet_ monsters from my Deck—one with 0 ATK; the other with 0 DEF—but they will be banished during the End Phase of this turn."

Two cards were swiftly swiped and discarded; Shen snatched up another pair the moment they'd jutted outward from his Deck. "I discard _Bixi, Dracomet of Water_ and _Pulao, Dracomet of Wind_ to Special Summon a second _Pulao_ along with _Taotie, Dracomet of Evil_."

Two more dragons now shimmered into being either side of Shen: a thin, spring-green monster that looked vaguely familiar to Masumi (Level 1/ _ATK 0/_ DEF 1800), and a snarling gray creature covered in red tattoos (Level 5: _ATK 2200_ /DEF 0).

" _Dracomet Leyline_ gains effects according to the number of different Attributes that each _Dracomet_ monster in my Graveyard possesses," Shen told her. "For example, if there are at least two different Attributes, then all _Dracomet_ monsters I control will gain 500 ATK."

Masumi pursed her lips as she saw _Pulao's_ ATK rise to 500, and _Taotie's_ to a respectable 2700—just enough to take out any one of her monsters. But she was absolutely certain that Shen wouldn't end it there.

"Now," he spoke, raising his voice slightly, "I will Tune my Level 2 _Jiaotu_ with my Level 5 _Taotie_!"

As the two gray dragons swirled high into the air, _Jiaotu_ suddenly glowed with light, and exploded into a pair of green rings that quickly settled over _Taotie's_ undulating form. Shen, meanwhile, bent his knees and clapped his palms together as he started to proclaim:

 **"Seething phantom of darkness. Reach out from the void, and devour the unworthy with your shadow!"**

 _Taotie_ , encased within the rings, also began to glow, and it shrank into a line of five tiny points of light—one for each of its Levels, Masumi knew. There was a flash of lightning; at the same time, Shen sprang into the air, far higher than any human being should have a right to jump—he was about to meet the blast head-on—

 **"Synchro Summon! Descend from the stars! Level 7!** ** _Yaizer, Dracomet of Wickedness!_** **"**

An instant before the column of lightning would have collided with Shen, there was an explosion of light and wind that forced Masumi to cover her eyes. When she judged it safe to do so, she opened them back up—only to gasp at the monster that had appeared above her: a dark gray dragon whose scales rippled with muscles and crimson energy, and whose blood-red eyes stared down at her with sinister intent (Level 7: _ATK 2600 »_ _ **3100**_ /DEF 2100).

Her consternation only redoubled moments later; Masumi had just realized why _Pulao_ had seemed so familiar to her. As _Yaizer_ settled onto the field, she had taken a closer look at _Pulao's_ head, and taken note of its long conical horns and curved golden beak. It was exactly the same head she'd remembered seeing on _El Shaddoll Midrash_.

Masumi took a step back, suddenly feeling shivers creep into her body. Why did Ito's Fusion Monster resemble this dragon so uncannily? More importantly, _Midrash_ had appeared to her in a dream, while _Pulao_ had been revealed to her in real life. Why, then, had Masumi seen the _former_ before she'd ever known about the _latter?_

 _How on earth is this possible?!_

* * *

Her reaction had not been lost on Yaiba as he continued to spectate the Duel alongside Hotene, whose eyes were wider than ever as they took in the sight of _Yaizer_.

 _Uh-oh_ , he thought. _She's losing focus. That's the_ last _thing you want to do against Shen._

"What is it you fear, Masumi?" Despite Shen standing atop the head of his dragon, thirty feet above the ground, his words to the Fusion Duelist carried throughout the entire Action Field as clearly as if he was right next to Yaiba. "I have not Dueled you before … yet I see the eyes with which you see my dragon for the first time."

Yaiba's eyes automatically whipped in Masumi's direction. She was gazing at _Yaizer_ with an expression of total befuddlement—no, not at _Yaizer_ , he corrected himself; for some reason, she was looking at _Pulao_. He had no clue why Masumi was concerning herself with Shen's weaker monster—but she needed to snap out of it quickly.

"You have seen it somewhere before, have you not?" Shen asked her. "You have seen it, and have come to fear it. Why is this so?"

"I … don't know … " Masumi was heard to stutter.

 _C'mon, Masumi_ , Yaiba thought. _Pull yourself together. You've faced worse odds than this—you can still win!_ But even as the thoughts sprang into his mind, the Synchro Duelist was doubting them—just as Masumi now appeared to be doubting herself.

 _What the hell does she see in that dragon?_

* * *

"Your _second_ lesson," Shen announced, looking down at his opponent, arms folded so tightly that they might as well be glued together. " _Fear_ comes from the mind, not the world around you. You cannot control the world—but if you can control your _mind_ , and your _fear_ … then you need not control anything else."

The words were spoken clearly enough that Masumi was just barely able to tear her eyes away from _Pulao_ and remember that there was a 3100 ATK monster directly across from her weaker monsters—a monster that was clearly chomping at the bit to blast any one of her _Gem-Knights_ to smithereens.

"I activate the effect of _Yaizer_ ," said Shen, steadying his legs as the dragon beneath him reared back with a growl. "Once per turn, I may target 1 _Dracomet_ card and one of my opponent's cards, and destroy them both. I target my _Pulao, Dracomet of Wind_ —along with your _Gem-Knight Rubyz!_ "

 _Pulao_ screeched in pain as five iron-gray claws, crackling with scarlet electricity, reached for its throat and crushed it with little resistance. One second later, it had been vaporized into hard-light dust, and the dark red energy coursed through _Yaizer's_ body, up its neck and into its mouth. One second after that, the Synchro Monster fired that energy in a sphere of crimson energy at _Rubyz_ , dispelling the armored warrior into a thousand shards of cracked armor.

Masumi winced as the remains of the strongest monster on her field faded from view—but all was not lost just yet.

"Next, I activate the effect of _Pulao_ ," Shen went on. "If it is destroyed by battle or by card effect and sent to my Graveyard, I may Special Summon a _Dracomet_ monster with a different name from my Deck in Attack Position. I will Summon a second _Bixi, Dracomet of Water_." He swiped a card from his Deck; an instant later, a bluish-green, tortoise-like dragon materialized where _Pulao_ had been just a moment ago (Level 2/ _ATK 0 »_ _ **500**_ /DEF 2000).

"Battle Phase," Shen declared. " _Yaizer_ , attack _Gem-Knight Paz! Phantom Shadow Charge!_ "

The gray dragon flapped its wings once as it sped around a particularly large pine tree, gaining momentum from the rotation. Right as it emerged from behind the foliage, _Yaizer_ spun round, whipping its spiked tail straight at _Paz_. The golden armor crumpled beneath the heavy blow, bursting into a million shards of light. Masumi lost her balance in the resulting explosion, and tumbled to the ground while her Life Points tumbled to 1200.

Above her, Shen swiped his blade, somehow having not budged an inch from _Yaizer's_ attack. "I Set one card, and end my turn."

Masumi got to her feet, brushing pine needles off her clothes. She was grateful to have Summoned so many monsters on her first turn; otherwise, things could have gone worse for her. What was especially infuriating was that Shen had prioritized getting rid of as many of her Fusion Monsters as possible, instead of inflicting as much damage as he could in a single turn. He could easily have destroyed Masumi's _Roumaline_ , possibly sending her LP to an even lower 1000—but _Roumaline_ was only a Normal Monster. _Paz_ and _Rubyz_ , on the other hand, had effects that made them dangerous on the field. Worse still, Shen had avoided getting rid of her _Aquamarine_ , which could have sent that 3100 ATK _Yaizer_ off the field without any loss to her LP.

 _His Dueling isn't just aggressive—it's_ smart, Masumi thought approvingly as she drew a card. "My turn!"

She bit her lip as the card was revealed to be _Gem-Knight Crysta_ —not at all helpful at present—but Masumi wasn't perturbed. Her _Gem-Knight_ monsters weren't just dangerous on the field—and Shen had erred in not getting rid of her two face-down cards when he had the chance.

Before activating _those_ , however, she had to figure out how to deal with _Yaizer_. _Let's see what I can find lying around here_ , she thought, signaling _Aquamarine_ to lend her a hand. The armored knight scooped her up and deposited her on his Solid Vision shoulder; then, at Masumi's signal, he sprinted off in search of an Action Card. Shen, _Bixi_ , and _Yaizer_ followed in close pursuit.

Less than thirty seconds later, a gleam of light caught her eye; Masumi quickly dismounted from her Fusion Monster to grab the card. She turned it over, and … _oh, this could work …_

"First, I activate the Action Spell: _Tranquility!_ " she declared. "I can target one of my opponent's monsters, and halve its original ATK this turn!"

"If you are targeting the monster I suspect you are," Shen cut in, "your attempt will fail. _Yaizer_ cannot be targeted by any opposing card effects—including your Action Cards."

 _Damn_. Masumi slid the card back into her hand, furious at the revelation. _And_ Aquamarine's _effect targets as well—so it wouldn't have worked against_ Yaizer _, either. It looks like I have no other choice, then,_ she thought with a sigh as she inspected her Set cards. _I'll have to do this_ perfectly.

"Trap Card activate: _Gem Enhance!_ " Masumi cried as she revealed her first face-down card. "By Releasing a _Gem-Knight_ monster, I can target another _Gem-Knight_ monster in my Graveyard, and Special Summon it! I release my _Gem-Knight Roumaline_ to bring back _Gem-Knight Paz!_ "

A portal of dark energy opened at her feet, sucking _Roumaline_ inside in a trice, then spewing out all eight feet of her golden-armored knight a moment later (Level 6: _ATK 1800_ /DEF 1800).

 _So far, so good …_ "Next, I activate another Trap Card: _Doublet Fusion_! By banishing _Gem-Knight_ monsters in my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon a _Gem-Knight_ Fusion Monster! I'll banish my Gem-Knights _Ganet_ , _Saphire_ , and _Roumaline_!"

Three Normal Monsters were ejected from her Graveyard, and Masumi placed them into a compartment in her Duel Disk. In the meantime, images of the same three monsters appeared behind her, disappearing into a whirlwind of color as she chanted:

 **"Crystal of burning resolve! Gem tinged with lightning! Stone of selfless sacrifice! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"** ** _Fusion Summon!_** **One who illuminates everything with its supreme radiance!** ** _Gem-Knight Master Dia!_** **"**

The gleaming form of Masumi's favorite Fusion Monster outshone even the sun as he emerged from the vortex (Level 9: _ATK 2900_ /DEF 2500). Every inch of the fifteen-foot-tall knight's plate had been polished to a mirror finish, and his enormous sword—if it was possible—sparkled even more brightly than the rest of him.

" _Gem-Knight Master Dia_ gains 100 ATK for every _Gem-_ monster in my Graveyard," explained Masumi, as she watched her monster's gauge climb to 3000. It was unfortunate that she'd had to banish so many monsters to get to this point—but the Duel wasn't lost yet.

"That is still not strong enough to defeat _Yaizer_ in battle," Shen pointed out the obvious.

Masumi, however, had anticipated his statement. "True—but I should mention that my _Master Dia_ has _another_ effect," she smirked. "By banishing a Level 7 or lower _Gem-Knight_ Fusion Monster from my Graveyard, it can copy that banished monster's name and effect until the End Phase! And it just so happens that the one monster remaining in my Graveyard … is the Level 6 Fusion Monster _Gem-Knight Rubyz_!"

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Masumi could have sworn Shen's dark eyes had widened at the revelation. _I've got him_ , she thought. "I banish _Rubyz_ from my Graveyard," she cried, "and transfer its name and effect over to _Master Dia!_ "

The massive knight's great blade began to spark with red energy. "Now, I activate _Master Dia's_ inherited effect!" Masumi continued. "I can Release a _Gem-_ monster on my field once every turn—to have _Master Dia_ gain its ATK until the End Phase! I'll Release my _Gem-Knight Aquamarine!_ " The point gauge of the shining knight rose to a daunting 4400 as it absorbed _Aquamarine's_ ATK—more than enough to destroy _Yaizer_.

Masumi wasn't done, though. "Now _Aquamarine's_ effect activates," she said. "When it's sent from the field to the Graveyard for any reason, I can target any card on my opponent's field, and return it to the hand! I'll target your _Dracomet Leyline!_ " Her smirk widened as Shen withdrew the Spell from the blade of his Duel Disk, causing _Bixi's_ and _Yaizer's_ ATK to drop back to their original values. She'd been sorely tempted to return _Bixi_ , but she wanted to maximize the amount of damage her monsters could do.

"Battle Phase!" Masumi declared, pointing straight at the most inviting target on the field. " _Gem-Knight Master Dia_ , attack _Yaizer, Dracomet of Wickedness!_ "

The shining knight swung his blade with a mighty roar, releasing a massive wave of crimson energy. Shen leapt off an instant before _Yaizer_ was decapitated, and summarily disintegrated. He landed without any sign of injury or fatigue—though his orange tunic looked somewhat more ruffled than usual as his LP gauge dwindled to 2200.

Masumi felt a wave of relief as the dust cleared, the Synchro Monster finally defeated—but her relief quickly disappeared when she saw not one, but _two_ more dragons floating where _Yaizer_ had been moments ago. One of them was red, with a magnificent lion's mane to match, while the other bore an even longer mane, though it was light brown in color, and possessed black stripes not unlike that of a tiger.

 _How the_ hell _—?!_

Shen spoke up before a stunned Masumi could voice her shock at the unexpected sight. "The Continuous Trap: _Dracomet Creation_ ," he said, revealing the card he'd Set his previous turn. "Once per turn, if a monster I control is destroyed by battle or by card effect, I may Special Summon a _Dracomet_ monster from my Deck. I used that effect to Special Summon _Bi'an, Dracomet of Earth_." He indicated the golden brown tiger-dragon to his right with a sweep of his arm (Level 3: _ATK 1600_ /DEF 0).

Masumi frowned. "If that Trap effect only works once per turn … why are there _two_ new dragons?"

"When you destroyed _Yaizer_ , you activated its final effect in the process," replied Shen. "That effect allowed me to Special Summon a Phantom Dragon-Type monster from my Deck in Defense Position—that monster being _Suanni, Dracomet of Fire_." He gestured to the lion-like dragon on his left; Masumi saw its ATK gauge just in time before it faded from view (Level 4: ATK 1900/ _DEF 0_ ). She bit her lip as the sinuous form of the crimson dragon brought to mind another vision of her dream—the shadowy form of Ito's _Shaddoll Dragon_.

Quickly, Masumi blinked, dispelling all thoughts of the nightmare; she did not want Shen to notice anything was wrong. Desperate to find something else to ponder, she took a closer look at the Summoned monsters—and noticed something odd almost straightaway.

 _Why would he Special Summon the_ stronger _monster in_ Defense _Position?_ Masumi wondered. Something wasn't right about that. It was a pity that she'd already attacked with _Master Dia_ , though; the piercing effect granted by _Rubyz_ could have gone straight through _Suanni_ —maybe even won her the Duel. But she still had one more monster to attack with, and it could deal enough damage in the process to drop Shen's LP to zero, no matter what it attacked.

"Go, _Gem-Knight Paz!_ " she shouted. "Attack _Bixi, Dracomet of Water!_ " The golden knight swung its twin blades, sending out a blast of electricity that hurtled for the teal dragon. _Paz'_ attack blasted it into hard-light ribbons—and Shen's LP to a dangerously low 400.

Yet the Synchro user, incredibly, remained unflappable. "If _Bixi_ is destroyed by battle or by card effect and sent to my Graveyard," Shen told her as _Bixi's_ remains faded from view, "I may Special Summon a _Dracomet_ monster with a different name from my Deck in Attack Position. I will Summon the Tuner monster _Liwen, Dracomet of Light_."

Another _Dracomet_ appeared from out of thin air, right in front of Shen. This one was much smaller than the other _Dracomets_ Masumi had yet seen (Level 1/ _ATK 0_ /DEF 0). Despite the glaring weakness, however, its golden fins and pure white scales shone far brighter than any of her _Gem-Knights_ —perhaps even brighter than the sun itself.

 _And it's another 0 ATK Tuner in Attack Position_ , thought Masumi, frowning, _except he Summoned it during_ my _turn_. Not that it mattered much—at this point, she could destroy any one of Shen's monsters to win this Duel.

" _Gem-Knight Paz'_ effect!" she explained. "It can attack _twice_ during each Battle Phase—and each time it destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to that destroyed monster's ATK!

"Go!" Masumi ordered _Paz_. "Attack _Liwen, Dracomet of Light_!" Any target would have sufficed, to be fair, but Masumi wasn't about to take things to chance. She'd faced her fair share of Synchro Duelists before, and the key thing to keep in mind was that their Tuner monsters could be the most dangerous things on the field. No— _Bi'an_ and _Suanni_ were more inviting targets, but _Liwen_ had to be destroyed, lest Shen pull off another Synchro Summon.

 _Paz_ , meanwhile, swung its lightning blades again, and Masumi finally began to feel victory in her grasp as the arcs of electricity flew straight and true—

And then Shen suddenly swiped a card on his blade. "Action Spell: _Avoid!_ " he declared. "I may target any attacking monster on the field, and negate its attack! I will target your _Gem-Knight Paz!_ "

Masumi gaped as _Paz'_ attack dissipated mere inches from _Liwen_ —but this wasn't what was concerning her. _Shen had an Action Card in his hand this whole time?!_ she wondered, even more shocked than before. _But when did—?!_

"Yaiba did tell you, did he not, to watch every move I made?" inquired Shen. "Perhaps if you had done as he had instructed, you might have noticed that for a time, I held rather more cards than I ought to have started out with."

 _Huh?!_

"Please—count them." Shen fanned out the cards in his hand, enough so that Masumi could make out the specific number of them from where she stood: there were two cards remaining in his hand.

 _I started the Duel first,_ she thought, _which means Shen drew, so that gave him_ six _cards … that Continuous Spell was played first, then the Tuner,_ Jiaotu _—five cards, then four—he discarded two cards for_ Jiaotu's _effect—down to two … he's got two cards now, but he Set that one card at the end of his turn, so_ three _… which means he had to have found that Action Card after—_

Masumi gasped as it hit her. " _That's_ when you did it," she realized, thunderstruck. "The Action Card was in that pine tree, wasn't it?" She had remembered how _Yaizer_ had circled the large tree to gain momentum just before it launched its attack on _Paz_. _Shen must have found that_ Avoid _on the far side of the tree, where I couldn't see …_

She clenched her fist. _Damn it_. Shen was a cunning Duelist indeed—perhaps even as devious as Ito. Yaiba had been right all along about him— _strict, physical, and controlled_. Shen used his superhuman physique to quickly find the Action Cards he needed, rather than prevent his opponents from doing the same, like the pupils of Ryouzanpaku. Add that to a superb sense of timing, and Masumi guessed that whenever Shen participated in an Action Duel, it appeared to the human eye as if he'd never grabbed any Action Cards at all—they just popped up, right in his hand.

"In China, we have a saying," Shen spoke up just then. "'If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.' My Duel School also has perhaps a more _modern_ saying: 'Play the opponent, not the game.' You are a very aggressive Duelist, Koutsu Masumi—and perhaps, had the circumstances been different, you might very well have won this Duel." His dark eyes narrowed. " _However_."

There it was again, thought the Fusion Duelist as she bit her lip—that same palpable, _burning_ confidence.

"I activate the effect of _Suanni, Dracomet of Fire_!" bellowed Shen. "Once per turn, during my opponent's Main Phase or Battle Phase, I can Synchro Summon a monster using _Dracomet_ monsters I control!"

Masumi's mouth fell open. _He's Synchro Summoning during my turn?!_

"I tune my Level 1 _Liwen_ with my Level 3 _Bi'an_ and my Level 4 _Suanni_!" _Liwen_ shimmered with light, and transformed into a single emerald ring. The two dragons flanking it now coalesced into tiny beacons, seven of them altogether, aligning in formation as Shen roared to the heavens:

 **"Shining phantom of light. Unleash your true power, and give birth to a radiance that consumes all in its path!"**

The lightning that burst forth was far more intense, causing gale-force winds to storm throughout the Action Field. Masumi found it very difficult to stay on her feet—especially when she saw the monster that was causing it.

 **"** ** _Synchro Summon!_** **Descend from the stars! Level 8!** ** _Gongfu, Dracomet of Brightness!_** **"**

The golden-brown dragon that emerged from the lightning storm was part lion, part tiger, and quite a bit bigger than _Yaizer_ —though surprisingly, its point gauge was not quite as strong (Level 8: _ATK 2300_ /DEF 2600). Even as Masumi watched, though, that gauge began to climb. Before long, its ATK and DEF were now at 2800 and 3100—and Masumi had no idea how or why that could have happened.

Shen performed another mighty leap, soaring into the air as if on wings to land between _Gongfu's_ conical horns. "When _Suanni_ and _Bi'an_ are used as Synchro Materials," he explained, "any monster _Suanni_ Synchro Summons gains 500 ATK and DEF—and any monster _Bi'an_ Synchro Summons cannot be destroyed by battle.

"Furthermore," Shen continued, "The first effect of _Gongfu_ activates when it is Synchro Summoned. It allows me to target any number of cards on the field—up to the number of different original Attributes of the Phantom Dragon-Type monsters I used to Synchro Summon it—and shuffle each target back into the Deck!"

Masumi's heart skipped several beats as she realized what Shen was about to do. He'd used _three_ monsters for this Synchro Summon—all of them the same Type, but with different Attributes.

"I target my _Dracomet Creation_ —and then your _Gem-Knights Rubyz_ and _Master Dia_!" roared Shen. A blazing light shone forth from _Gongfu_ , brighter than any sun or star in the sky. When it faded, there was no trace of any other card left on the field. Masumi's Fusion Monsters were nowhere to be seen.

She slumped, defeated. There was no point in mentioning to Shen that both monsters would be sent back to the Extra Deck. It wasn't as though she'd be able to re-Summon them this turn. Worse still, _Tranquility_ 's effect would last only until the end of the turn—and even if she played it _next_ turn, Shen still had that _Leyline_ Spell in his hand to boost _Gongfu's_ ATK further still. In other words, that Action Card was worse than useless to her now.

 _Damn it_. "I end my turn," she said through clenched teeth, slipping her monsters back into her Extra Deck slot.

There was nothing more she could do. Once again, she'd come so close to victory—only to have it snatched away from her at the last possible moment.

* * *

Yaiba sighed, shaking his head at the less-than-thrilling spectacle.

"He played her like a violin," he remarked to Hotene, whose messy hair had wilted upon seeing how thoroughly the Synchro user had turned the tide. "Shen knew sooner or later that Masumi would get _too_ greedy—too aggressive. A 0 ATK Tuner monster in Attack Position was just too good a target for her to pass up."

Idly, Yaiba scratched the back of his neck with his bamboo _shinai_ with another sigh. "This Duel is over."

He moved to stand up from the stairs. Hotene bounced to her feet behind him, looking rather put out at the Duel's result, but Yaiba paid her no attention; all his thoughts were concentrated on the Fusion Duelist some distance away.

 _Masumi … what is going on with you?_

* * *

"Your third and final lesson," Shen now spoke to Masumi as he began his turn, not even looking at the card he drew. "Though _fear_ may be a powerful weapon, it can be faced, and likewise conquered. But if you lack the _fire_ to keep facing that fear, it will only return … and until that _fire_ is lit, your _fear_ will continue to grow stronger by the day."

Masumi heard Shen's words only halfheartedly, still despondent over her near miss. That did not mean she was discounting his advice—but thinking on it could wait until later. There was enough on her mind already.

"Battle Phase," declared Shen. " _Gongfu, Dracomet of Brightness_ , attack directly! _White Phantom Flame!_ "

The dragon's mouth expelled a burst of shimmering white fire. It washed over Masumi in less than a second, blasting her across the length of the brick path and draining away her LP counter until it had reached 0. Thankfully, the safety systems in the RSV generators prevented her from suffering any serious damage in the assault.

For Masumi, however, the most damaged thing about her was her pride. It had been a long time since she'd been on a losing streak quite like this one. In two days, she'd lost a grand total of four Duels—half of which might or might not have been in her dreams, while the other half had occurred over the course of a single day.

And yet, despite all that … if she was honest, it didn't bother her as much as she thought it ought to. Perhaps her losing streak had brought about a sudden case of humility—or maybe it was simply her loss to Hotene. Whatever the case, Masumi found this loss rather easier to dust off than her multiple failures against Ito. Shen was a superior opponent, after all—but more than that, Shen was a superior opponent that she could _respect_.

After a while, Masumi got to her feet. By now, the Action Field had dissolved, the plaza had reappeared—and Shen, too, had appeared bare inches away from her in the blink of an eye. Masumi found this did not startle her anymore. Perhaps as time went on, she'd get used to it … but that depended on a decision that was out of her hands.

"So," she said, a little hoarsely. "How prepared was I for you, Shen?"

The Synchro user considered this. "As prepared as you could be, under the circumstances," he said. "Although I will confess that there were one or two occasions where you could very well have won."

His dark eyes softened. "Do not let this loss discourage you, Koutsu Masumi. I know why you wanted to Duel me, and as far as I am concerned … if only for that, you have won."

The Fusion user furrowed her brow, confused. "What are you saying?"

"That I will help you," Shen answered simply, and Masumi's heart rose like a freshly inflated balloon. "I will grant you," he added, "that I still do not know what exactly you wish me to help you with; however, I trust Toudou Yaiba's judgment, and I am sure that he trusts _you_ as well—whether or not he would like to admit it."

Masumi stole a glance at Yaiba, who nodded—though she couldn't help but feel the gesture was made too quickly. Even so, her elation at having gathered a second Duelist to assist her was more than enough to render it moot.

"More than this, however," Shen continued, "after the Duel you have provided me, I believe I can trust you to tell all when the moment comes." His expression suddenly became severe. "I will hope for your sake that you do."

Masumi swallowed, but was otherwise unruffled. "Well, you don't need to worry about that, Shen," she said. "If all goes well, I'll be telling you very soon. I've only got one more person to find—although I may have to do it alone."

Yaiba stared at her suspiciously. "Who is it?"

Masumi stared right back at him. "Rokkaku Fuyu."

No one said anything, but the expressions on everyone's faces told Masumi what she already knew: that hunting down her third target would be a difficult task indeed—and compared to Hotene and Shen, the task of persuading _him_ to join in her scheme would be next to insurmountable.

* * *

 **A/N: I first designed Shen before Tokumatsu Choujirou—who was shown to have many** ** _Dracomet_** **monsters in his debut episode—joined the** ** _ARC-V_** **cast. I don't know if archetypes that coexist in different dimensions constitute a plot hole, but seeing as no one in the show appears to actually** ** _use_** **the** ** _Dracomets_** **in Duels at time of writing, this may just be me overthinking things as usual.**

 **Anyhow, I wasn't expecting to release this so early, but the entire apartment and I have been coughing ourselves hoarse lately, which meant less work on** ** _Rain's Hand_** **as a result (the irony of writing a story about sickness while being sick myself hasn't escaped me). Fortunately, I had some backlog to work with, and this was the result.**

 **Thanks for reading! - K**


	7. VII

VII

They remained at the plaza for most of the afternoon, enjoying the sights and sounds, and the gorgeous weather that came along with them. Several times, Masumi received an appreciative nod from the passersby, which she could only assume had to do with them spectating her loss to Shen. It helped bolster her spirits somewhat, to know that even though she'd lost, she'd put on another good show today.

A part of her reflected on how good it was that she'd taken the time to go out today, as she watched Hotene pester Shen for a rematch, to no avail. The tiny Duelist, further intent on declaring herself a better Fusion Duelist than Masumi, had challenged him under the assumption that if she beat the Duelist who'd beaten Masumi, that automatically gave Hotene the unofficial title. Shen had then proceeded to beat her so soundly that Masumi had the distinct impression he'd been holding back in their first Duel.

She was grateful for the additional opportunity to learn more about their Dueling styles—but more than that, it felt good to spectate a Duel that held no ramifications for the future. No tournaments, tests, or corporate takeovers … or, lest she forget, dreams that might not actually be dreams. Masumi had been tempted to call Wendy and thank her for her advice, but she felt that could wait until later—it had been hard for her to be worried about anything at the time—even where last night's nightmare was concerned.

However, Hotene's Duel and her insistence on having one more proved to only be a passing distraction from the next big obstacle that lay before her. Mere moments later, when the little girl dropped the subject altogether, Masumi was forced to again wonder how she would approach the challenge of recruiting Rokkaku Fuyu.

* * *

They all had a very early dinner at a local shopping center. Yaiba made sure everyone ate hearty—for the trip they were about to undertake, Masumi knew they would not have the luxury of mass transit for much longer.

"But why do we hafta wait till sunset?" whined Hotene over her second _yakitori_ , while Masumi composed a voicemail to her father, explaining that she would be going around town with a few friends tonight.

"Fuyu's parents own the planetarium on the west side of town," explained Yaiba. "Since they live under the place, he spends most of his time there. He hardly ever goes outside during the day unless he has to, but after sunset he'll go outside, watch the stars for hours on end. That's the best time to go see him—but even then, I don't know how much he'll enjoy the company, especially after what he had to go through … "

He cast a look at Masumi, who bit her lip as she finished up with her voicemail. She'd never met Fuyu before, but she knew from Hokuto how close the two Xyz Duelists had been—and how fragile the boy's nerves could be when anyone else besides his friend wasn't close by.

With Hokuto not being close by … Masumi had to admit that her plans for tonight had a very high chance of not happening—or at least, with fewer people than she'd been hoping. Still, she had a good feeling Fuyu could be convinced. How, she didn't know—but there had to be a reason why she had seen his face in her last dream.

That was another thing that was bothering her. After the bitter feelings of her narrow loss to Ito had faded, Masumi had started entertaining questions as to the differences between the two nightmares she'd experienced over the past two days. The most glaring, of course, had been the word in the alley—first _truth_ , then _death_. But there had been other differences as well: the appearance of the _Shaddolls_ as puppet-like monsters instead of just living shadows, to say nothing of the Lancers being turned into cards instead of innocent passersby.

Yet the part of her dream that raised the most questions was often the very last thing Masumi saw in her mind: the cards scattered around her as she fell to the road, defeated. Before, they had borne images of people she held dear—friends and family. But last night, the cards she'd picked up had been the same people she was spending all day trying to collect— up until today, _people she'd never seen before in her life_.

 _How, though?_ Masumi wondered. _How could I have dreamed of their faces … before I even saw them for myself?_

* * *

As the sun continued to traverse its path to the western horizon, the thought continued to occupy her mind—and to such an extent that Masumi would later find she had only a few scattered memories of most of the afternoon.

Eventually (where had all the time gone? Masumi wondered; had she been brooding on her dreams for that long?) Yaiba stood up and stretched. "It's time to get going," he said to the group. "Masumi, I hope you rested your legs long enough—we've got a walk ahead of us."

"We're not taking the bus there?" Masumi frowned—she'd been hoping for a little more time.

"We've got no chance this time of day," Yaiba told her as he began making his way out of the plaza, with Masumi, Shen, and Hotene close behind. "The evening rush is due to start any minute. By the time we find a bus stop, there won't be any room for all four of us. And by the time the rush is over, the buses will be out of service. We'll have to go to the planetarium on foot—and that's about two hours from here."

Masumi could already hear her tired legs protesting this course of action, but she grit her teeth, accepting the pain to come. "Lead the way, then," she said. "I'm guessing you know where this planetarium is?"

"Hokuto pointed it out to me a few times in the past," said Yaiba, "but I never went in there myself. Fuyu liked to keep a low profile, apparently—never one for the spotlight, he was … never one for the main stage. Hokuto was the only person Fuyu ever felt comfortable Dueling with."

His voice had grown uncharacteristically heavy. Masumi, sensing a window of opportunity, asked, "Were they _that_ close to one another, then?" At Yaiba's nod, she pressed on, "But I would have thought Hokuto would have talked about Fuyu with us before—it sounds like Fuyu's known him longer than we have."

"Like I said, Fuyu likes to keep a low profile. Hokuto did his best to respect that." Yaiba lowered his voice, forcing Masumi to lean in close even though the two Duelists were mere feet away. "You didn't hear this from me, but Fuyu's an excellent Duelist when it comes to being in a Battle Royale—he and Hokuto actually repeated as the U16 Tag-Team champions at the Inter-Prefectural Championship a couple months ago."

 _Nice_ , Masumi thought appreciatively—although she was sensing a "but".

"Now, that's all well and good," continued Yaiba, "but when it comes to one-on-one Dueling … well, there's no polite way to say this: Rokkaku Fuyu may well be the most inconsistent Duelist in the history of LDS."

Masumi did a double take. "How do you mean, 'inconsistent'?" Every Duelist had their off days, it was true—even she wasn't immune to them—but being labeled the most _inconsistent_ Duelist sounded an awful lot like a stretch.

Yaiba sighed. "Simply put," he answered, "how well Fuyu Duels was always tied to whether or not Hokuto's there to cheer him on. He's a good Duelist, don't get me wrong—I've seen him pull off one-turn kills while Hokuto was in the stands. But someone as good as Hokuto attends way too many tournaments to see his best friend perform in all of _his_ tournaments."

Masumi thought she knew where this was going. "And on those days, Fuyu just … falls to pieces?" she guessed.

"Right in one," replied Yaiba. "About a month after they claimed the tag-team title, Fuyu decided he'd try his luck entering the Maiami Championship, right? He had the win rate; he only needed three more wins to qualify… then Hokuto suddenly gets called away for a last-minute practice session. Less than ten minutes later, Fuyu ends up losing to Mokota Michio in three turns."

Masumi cringed. A loss like that had to sting anyone. That wasn't to say she thought Michio was a bad Duelist—the culinary prodigy had qualified for the Battle Royale, after all, though the news of his fate afterward had not been received well by the many fans of his cooking show. She did, however, consider Michio quite non-traditional, and frankly, she had been very surprised that he'd advanced as far as he had—even if by default.

"How'd Fuyu come to know Hokuto in the first place?" she asked.

Yaiba sucked in air through his teeth—which told Masumi he didn't relish the thought of talking about it. "When he was about six or seven," he eventually said, "Fuyu got sick—really, _really_ sick. Hokuto was never really up-front about what exactly he was sick with—I don't know if he ever knew, or if he just wanted to respect what he was going through—but it sounds like Fuyu was ill with a whole slew of things at once. It left him bedridden for the better part of two years, and his body never really recovered—even today, he hardly does any exercise outside of Action Duels. Hell, he'd be lucky to last four _seconds_ in an Action Duel with Hotene—never mind four turns."

Masumi had a sudden vision of Fuyu—whom she imagined to be a small, skinny, very green-looking boy—seizing up and explosively vomiting mid-bounce inside _Gravity Sixteen_. She promptly shuddered. "Point taken."

"Mm. Anyway, Hokuto was a classmate of his at the time—this was back when he started his whole _star_ fixation," said Yaiba. "When he found out Fuyu's folks owned the planetarium we're going to now, he thought he'd pay him a visit and see what he could do to cheer him up. Hokuto being Hokuto, it wasn't long before they started Dueling each other—no Action Fields, no Duel Disks, just cards and a table pulled up to his bed, like the old days."

The Fusion user amused herself at the thought of a younger Shijima Hokuto, his ubiquitous star-studded headpiece slipping over his eyes as he made a flourishing draw, trying to imitate a pro Duelist. The mental image sent her into such a strong fit of the giggles that she nearly collided with the fender of a stopped car as the quartet crossed a street.

"Once they found out they had so much in common, Hokuto would come over every week after that," Yaiba went on, once Masumi had caught her breath. "After Fuyu started feeling well enough to leave the house, they started hanging out and Dueling a lot more often—sometimes daily when they weren't in school. Before long, they were sitting the entrance exams to LDS together—and Fuyu got in with flying colors."

Masumi walked on in silent awe. She could see at once why someone like Fuyu would idolize Hokuto after having their childhood virtually stolen from under their feet—and more glaringly, why Wendy claimed he too was seeking counseling in the wake of the Maiami Championship. To Fuyu, Hokuto was more than simply another friend—he had been his whole _world_.

That was the strangest bit of it all: _Hokuto_ , of all people, being held in such high regard by a boy she didn't even know. Hokuto, who'd gone into a frothing rage at Sakaki Yuuya simply because he'd been the first person to damage his Life Points in forty Duels! Although in hindsight, the way he'd mellowed out after that made Masumi wonder if perhaps he'd been on a power high at the time, while Hokuto's true personality—the one he presumably displayed to Fuyu—had remained submerged beneath the continuing urge to keep his streak alive.

 _Just when you think you know some people_ , she thought as the group continued their trek through Maiami City.

* * *

 _That evening_

The cloudless sky was beginning to turn a dark blue by the time an enormous concrete dome came into view before Masumi and the others. They were situated on the edge of a hill—the climbing of which had caused no end of aches in her legs—and were spending a few moments catching their breath after the long walk they'd taken to get here.

"Glad we—got here—early," panted Yaiba. "Buses—would have—been—nightmare—"

Masumi glared at him, massaging her throbbing legs. "The next time I let someone else take charge of how much exercising I do in a day," she hissed, "just punch me in the face. At least then it won't be my _legs_ that are hurting."

"Look at it this way, Masumi," said the Synchro user. "Between jumping with Hotene, Dueling with Shen, and now this—you'll have yourself the best night of sleep in your life."

" _I plan to_ ," Masumi growled, not bothering to tell Yaiba that she'd had anything but a good night's sleep lately.

At length, they reached the front door, and Masumi knocked three times upon the glass surface. The darkness beyond told her it might be closed, but if Fuyu's family did indeed live here, then someone ought to be—

She jumped as someone suddenly emerged from the darkness: a lithe woman of about forty with long, silvery hair cracked open the door with an expression of annoyance and confusion.

"I'm sorry," she said in an airy but stern voice. "The planetarium is closed for tonight. Our hours are on the website, and if you'd like to make a tour—"

She suddenly broke off. "Yaiba?" Her eyes had flown to the Synchro Duelist. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry—I didn't recognize you, it's so dark out! What brings you here—and with so many other people?" she added, taking in the faces of Masumi, Shen, and Hotene.

Yaiba pointed his _shinai_ at the Fusion Duelist. "Masumi here was hoping she could meet Fuyu," he explained. "Is he busy right now?"

At once, the woman's face fell. "No, he's not busy," she said sadly. "But I'm afraid my son isn't in the mood for meeting anyone tonight. He hasn't been in that sort of mood for a whole week now—since the Championship. I'm sure you mean only the best for him," she smiled sincerely at Masumi, "and nothing would make me happier than to see him make a new friend—but you need to understand that I _also_ mean the best for my son. I would rather he start making new friends after his counselors have helped him begin to cope with the loss of his _oldest_ friend."

"That's actually why we're here," Masumi said quickly. "I'm a friend of Hokuto's, too."

Fuyu's mother paused at this. When she next spoke, it was in a slightly accusatory tone. "How much did you tell her?" she asked Yaiba.

"Only what I thought she needed to know," Yaiba responded evenly. "She knows how much Hokuto means to him—I made sure of that much."

The silver-haired woman chewed her tongue for several long minutes. "If you were anyone else, Yaiba," she finally sighed, "or if your charming friend claimed to know anyone else besides Hokuto, I would send you home right now." Immediately, though, her features softened. "I just want you to know how seriously I want my son to recover from that horrible ordeal."

Masumi sympathized. "I do, too," she said quietly. "I'd feel a lot better about myself if I was able to help him with that."

Fuyu's mother laughed. "I'm sure you do," she said genially as she swung open the door, admitting everyone inside. "Come on in. Our living area's just down those stairs." She indicated a small staircase at the left of the entrance hall. "You can rest your legs there for as long as you need to—and whenever you are ready," she added to Masumi in a whisper, "let me know, and I'll point you in Fuyu's direction."

Masumi smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Rokkaku," she said politely. "Actually, if it isn't too much trouble, I'd like to see Fuyu now. I'm on a bit of a schedule, as it were. School's starting back up next week, after all—I'd like to resume my studies tomorrow so I don't get caught out of step with everyone else."

"I can understand that," whispered Fuyu's mother, not noticing Masumi's lie. "He's in the planetarium proper, down the hallway and to the right. Before I send you over, though, there are a few things to keep in mind before you meet him. First, please don't touch the lights. We keep them this dim for a reason."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Second," whispered Mrs. Rokkaku, "there's a reason I'm also speaking this quietly. Fuyu's a very nervous boy, especially when there are other people in here besides us after closing hours. With how quiet it is in here this time of night, I don't doubt he already knows someone strange is here right now. So do try to keep his state of mind in mind, please—and watch your tone of voice."

"Of course," Masumi said in a whisper that made Fuyu's mother beam. "Wish me luck," she whispered to Yaiba as she set off down the hallway to the planetarium.

* * *

Barely a minute later, she found the door to the planetarium, pushing it open carefully so as not to make any unnecessarily loud noises. The last thing Masumi wanted was to spook her target before she could even find him.

Her attention was suddenly drawn to the gigantic dome above her, and she gaped at the sheer size of the structure. It could have swallowed her house whole—with room for a slice of the front lawn. The entire area was lit with a slice of the night sky that was filled with more stars than Masumi thought was physically possible. Had the sky been real, it might well have been as bright as day in this dimly lit place. Hundreds of seats were arranged in many circular rows around the edge of the dome, affording every person who sat down inside it a spectacular view of the synthesized heavens above.

At the moment, however, none of these chairs appeared occupied; the room was deserted. Nevertheless, Masumi had the strangest feeling she was being watched. The utter quiet of the room did little to comfort her.

" … Fuyu?" Her tremulous whisper felt like a bomb blast in the silence.

For a second, Masumi thought she heard a quick intake of breath from a doorway off to her left. Then, shuffling footsteps echoed into the circular space—and something moved.

Masumi had to bite back a loud gasp as the Xyz Duelist stepped out from the shadows—for a brief, fleeting moment, before logic had gotten the better of her startled state, she thought she'd seen a ghost.

Even then, her first thought of Rokkaku Fuyu was that he definitely looked pale enough to be one. His stringy, platinum blond hair, combed over the left half of his gaunt face and down past his jaw, was easily the most solid-looking part of him. His flesh was the kind of sickly white that ought to belong in a bottle of craft glue, and his hunched, gaunt body did nothing to conceal that he clearly lacked both Shen's toned muscles and Hotene's boundless energy.

The knowledge of what had happened to his best friend had clearly not been kind to Fuyu; even in the dim light, Masumi saw the telltale redness around the perpetually widened eye not covered by his hair. The clothes that hung loosely over his frail body looked rumpled enough that she guessed he'd been wearing them ever since the Maiami Championship had been called off, when he'd drawn his own conclusion about what happened to Hokuto. Sleeping _in them, too, by the smell of it,_ she added, resisting the urge to suddenly pinch her nose.

"Why are you here?"

Fuyu's voice breathed into the room like wind on dead grass. There was neither hostility nor curiosity in the question; only the defeated sigh of a fire that knows it is about to go out. Fuyu clearly did not want to see Masumi, that much was clear, but the poor boy had been moping in solitude for so long that even this company must have been better than nothing. Neither his body nor his mind was giving him a choice in the matter.

 _Now comes the hard part_ , she thought. "I'm glad to see you, Fuyu," she said gently, choosing her words with extreme care. "I came here because I wanted to spend some time with you."

Fuyu might as well have been a statue carved out of ivory for all the reaction he showed. The wide, electric blue eye didn't even blink as he continued to stare at Masumi.

"I thought maybe we could have a little Duel, to take your mind off things?" Masumi went on, smiling a little bit, reaching for her Duel Disk.

 _That_ got a reaction, but not the one she'd been hoping for: Fuyu shrank back from her, looking at her sidelong as if wishing he could disappear under those bangs of his. He mumbled something Masumi couldn't hear.

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't … want to … fight … Fusion … " Fuyu spoke no more here, and curled up into a ball before her eyes, shivering and shaking with silent sobs.

Masumi cursed under her breath as her worst fears were confirmed: Hokuto's defeat at the hands of the invaders had done more damage to his close friend than she'd originally thought. To Fuyu, the entire Summoning method had now become tainted; his fragile mind now saw anyone who used Fusion as another invader—an _enemy_ , no matter what dimension they might hail from.

 _He's no good to us like this_. Masumi knew she had to play her trump card now, though she hated herself for having to do it; she was not a manipulative person by heart. But there was no other way she could see.

"Hokuto was very brave to face them," she said, kneeling down until her face was nearly level with Fuyu's own.

" _How would you know?!_ " Fuyu suddenly exploded in a screeching voice that did not suit him at all; it cracked and popped from lack of use. His skeletal body uncurled with frightening speed and lunged at Masumi, who stepped back in alarm at his tirade. "They never gave Hokuto- _san_ a chance—they didn't even bother! _They—took—him!_ "

"And that's why I want to bring him back."

It was a lie, of course—Masumi had no idea how she'd be able to do such a thing—and she felt the guilt seep into her insides with an awful, burning sensation even as the sentence left her mouth. Her words, however, had the desired effect: Fuyu had frozen in his tracks, and he now regarded her with a curious look, as if not quite sure she was standing before him.

"That's right," Masumi whispered—smiling, nodding encouragingly. "I want to save Hokuto. I know he's your best friend, and that's why I want _you_ to help me do it. Because you look up to him, you idolize him. You think the whole world of him." She swallowed. "Because you can't imagine life without him, can you?"

Fuyu shook his head. "No … I can't … "

Masumi smiled again, forcing the acid taste of the lie down her throat. "Will you help me bring him back, Fuyu?"

The Xyz Duelist slowly got to his feet, and stood up—and then, just as suddenly, shrank back again. "What if you can't?" he rasped. "What if I'll never see Hokuto- _san_ again?"

Masumi stared him in the eye. "If we never try," she said, "then we never will."

Fuyu's eye widened further still, and for a very long time he said nothing.

Then … "What do you want?" Curiosity. Masumi inwardly rejoiced—she'd finally gotten through to him. Her plan might have some chance of success after all. Immediately, she began thinking up an answer that would satisfy Fuyu's curiosity. She was grateful Yaiba and the others weren't around; the Xyz Duelist was going to need a bit more information before he could be truly persuaded—information that she wasn't yet comfortable with sharing.

"Like I said earlier, I'd like to Duel you," she explained. "I'm not interested in who wins or loses. All I want to know is _how_ you Duel, Fuyu—the ins and outs of how your Deck works."

Fuyu cocked his head. "Why?"

Masumi bit her lip. She could trust Fuyu with a few of the juicy details, perhaps, but … "I'm going to fight someone who uses Fusion Monsters—powerful ones, too," she said. "But I can't face that enemy on my own. I've spent all of today looking for people to help me defeat this enemy, and I've found a few already—but I still need someone who uses Xyz." She smiled. "And I can't think of a better Xyz Duelist in this city right now than _you_ , Fuyu." Then, thinking about it further, "I think Hokuto- _san_ would say the same thing."

Fuyu's exposed eye was round as a coin. It darted this way and that, searching Masumi's face, drinking it in—looking, perhaps, for a sign that she might not be speaking the complete truth. Finally, he nodded.

Masumi beamed at him. "Thank you," she said gently, reaching out to embrace Fuyu, who _very slowly_ returned the favor. Masumi felt the ridges of his spine even through his clothes—right around the same time the smell from said clothes hit her nostrils in full force.

She quickly turned an impending cough into a rather prolonged clearing of her throat as she let go of Fuyu. "Now, before we get started on our Duel," she said, "there're a couple things I'd like you to do. First, don't say anything about our talk to Yaiba and the others." Seeing Fuyu's look, she hastily added, "I'll be telling them myself later on, don't you worry. If all goes well tonight, I'll be telling them _everything_."

Fuyu stared at Masumi for several long moments before nodding again. "And … the second?"

Masumi grimaced. "Please don't take this the wrong way—but could you clean yourself up before we Duel? You smell like you haven't bathed in days."

The Xyz Duelist flinched in a way that made her think he'd been half ready to curl back into his ball. "Sorry … " he whispered.

But Masumi waved him off. "Don't worry," she smiled, as she turned to leave. "Take all the time you need, Fuyu. I'll be waiting in the living room with everyone else. I can follow you from there."

* * *

Yaiba's expression was one of general astonishment when he saw the soft little smile Masumi was wearing as she came into the living room. Off a look from the Fusion Duelist, he said nothing, but she could tell Yaiba was biting his lip, and wanted to know just how Masumi had been able to succeed in recruiting Fuyu—even if her business here was only half done.

"What did you _say_ to him?" Fuyu's mother looked even more amazed when she heard the sound of running water. Evidently she'd had her doubts about Masumi being able to get through to her own son. A stocky, mustachioed man in his late thirties had joined her; she assumed this must be Mr. Rokkaku.

"We talked about Hokuto," Masumi replied, shooting another meaningful look at Yaiba as he attempted to get a word in edgewise, and he closed his mouth. From the look on his face, however, she guessed he'd taken her meaning. Fuyu's mother, for her part, exchanged a nod with her husband, who smiled back down at Masumi.

"I won't ask you for any details," he said. "What goes on between you two is your own business—especially if Hokuto was involved." The smile faded. "But if you promised anything to him, and if you don't follow through on it, then I hope you know whatever happens next is on your head." A pause. " _Especially_ if Hokuto was involved."

Masumi gulped, suddenly uneasy about having lied to Fuyu. But just as suddenly, the smile on Fuyu's father was back. "That having been said, Fuyu doesn't come out of his room for just anyone these days. He must have taken a real shine to you." He clapped Masumi on the shoulder. "I know you'll be a good friend to him."

That cheered Masumi up somewhat—although she was now starting to wish that she hadn't been quite so quick to make her promise to Hokuto's friend.

* * *

When Fuyu came out to meet them half an hour later, Masumi could not resist a double-take at how well he'd taken her second suggestion to heart. The once-stringy hair now spilled down his face like liquid metal, and his skin looked more like the color of a pearl than a bottle of paste. Masumi was also quick to note how Fuyu seemed to be standing much straighter than before; he now stood roughly taller than Yaiba, though still shorter than Masumi.

His emaciated body remained on display for all to see, however—although the dirty clothes had now been replaced by a white-and-black garment, with the odd stripe of lavender and gold. Masumi could only it describe as an insulated, form-fitting onesie; it rather reminded her of a spacesuit—an opinion that was only further reinforced when she saw the streamlined, white-and-gold helmet Fuyu carried from one arm.

"That's not a bad comparison," his mother remarked when Masumi gave her impressions. "Fuyu's skin never did handle the sun very well, even before … " She cleared her throat tactfully. "Well, he has to wear that whenever he goes outside to block the sunlight. I suspect it's helped him win a fair share of Duels out of doors—and it doesn't hurt that I've heard a good few kids say he looks cool in it," she added with a laugh, while Fuyu blushed furiously.

"And speaking of Duels," continued Fuyu's mother as she turned to her son, "I'm guessing that's why you're all dressed up?"

"Yes, Mother." Masumi noted how much more confident Fuyu's voice sounded after their private chat, though he still spoke in little more than a raspy whisper. "Could you give us _that_ Field, please?" He jerked his head in her direction as he produced a jet-black Duel Disk from a breast pocket, sliding it into a plastic slot on his left sleeve—no doubt custom-tailored for the express purpose, thought Masumi—but the blade did not yet activate. The Fusion Duelist took out her own Duel Disk from its holster in response, securing it to her own arm.

Fuyu's mother beamed. "Of course. Come with us," she spoke to the others in the lobby, and they followed her down the same hallway that led to the planetarium.

* * *

"We invested in an RSV generator when we built this place," Fuyu's father explained along the way. "It's mostly used just for business—tours of other planets, the solar system, the sky beyond, and all that. Solid Vision isn't useful for just Dueling, you know. It can help us go places we might otherwise not be able to—though that doesn't stop some of our younger audiences from wanting to challenge each other to Duels in here," he chuckled.

"So you're saying you use _Action Fields_ for these tours?" Masumi asked, intrigued.

"Yes and no. One of my friends from college is a senior designer in _Duel Monsters_ , and owed me a favor. He took the time to produce a number of Fields for us that would serve the purpose of extraterrestrial exploration as well as Dueling. They're produced with Real Solid Vision, yes, but they can't be used for Duels of any kind—at least, not without the passphrase."

"Passphrase?"

"Oh, yes," said Mr. Rokkaku. "Only the three of us know how to key it in. It's an unofficial secret of this place," he said, tapping a finger to his lips and winking.

"After Fuyu first took ill," added his wife, "this designer threw in a few extra Action Fields, to help Fuyu practice his Dueling when he'd recovered well enough to do so. He took a particularly special shine to one of them."

"Oh?"

"Mother, please don't spoil anything," whispered Fuyu as he put on his helmet. Masumi was surprised to see the genuine smile that split his face for an instant—indeed, if she hadn't been staring right at him when he'd spoken, she might never have noticed it. "She wants to _help me_ ," he added. The helmet muffled his voice somewhat, but Masumi could hear a faint note of pride in Fuyu's equally faint words.

His mother tittered. "Oh, very well, if you insist. I wouldn't have time to explain, anyway—we're almost there," she added as they walked through a set of double doors. "If the rest of you would just follow me and my husband, we'll take you to the control room."

But Masumi was paying little attention; she had just stopped, slack-jawed as they reentered the planetarium. The seats she'd noticed earlier were beginning to fold, sinking into the floor beneath them. Masumi realized that the floor was transparent only when a glow appeared under her feet, and she saw the RSV generator some distance below her, rumbling to life in the exact center of the dome. She quickly took out her Duel Disk, activating the device's blade at the same time as a lavender chevron shape appeared along Fuyu's forearm.

"Passphrase accepted," a computerized voice intoned. "Initializing Dueling subroutines." Then, barely a moment later, "Action Field: _Silent World-Ship_ selected. Combatants, be advised: you are being scanned for environmental adaptation. Please remain motionless until the Action Field has been fully initiated."

 _Environmental adaptation?_ Masumi wondered—but the Solid Vision generator was already emitting its beams of hard light, transforming the dome around them. To the Fusion user's surprise, she felt several of those beams wash over her body, dancing over her skin. It felt rather like being submerged in a warm bubble bath, except that the pop of each bubble against her skin felt like the prick of a needle.

Now she could feel a constricting sensation all over her body, starting from her legs and working its way upward. Masumi nearly fell over in shock when she saw that her clothes were being covered up, replaced piecemeal by a form-fitting jumpsuit not unlike what Fuyu was wearing—only hers was patterned in blue-and-gold instead of his black-and-white, with slim, graceful lines of navy and orange curling over the fabric-like lattice of light.

It was not clothing; even as she felt a helmet like Fuyu's shimmer onto her head, Masumi could still feel her regular clothes and hair beneath the outfit. It appeared as though it was a mere hologram projected over her body, while any protruding elements—her hair and the holster for her Duel Disk, for example—were being "edited out," for lack of a better term. Masumi could only guess that more Solid Vision was being used to conceal them in real-time; if so, it was very expertly done. She had never heard of any Solid Vision system going to such lengths—not only generating Action Fields, but clothing for said fields as well. The processing power of the generator below her feet must be incredible to perform such a complex bit of holographic imagery.

She suddenly gasped, having been too absorbed in her change in wardrobe to notice the Action Field beyond. The dome of the planetarium had disappeared, replaced by the image of an infinite black expanse, dotted with stars and nebulae, and dominated by a galaxy that swallowed half the heavens. Under her feet lay a vast construction of gleaming metal, far larger than Maiami City. There were no corners or straight lines as far as Masumi's eyes could see; everything _curved_ , _flowed_ and _soared_ like liquid metal. But for all the splendor and size, this was no city; she saw no buildings, no other structures—indeed, no sign of life at all. Aside from the pair of Duelists, the place was completely deserted.

Masumi felt goosebumps underneath the hard-light spacesuit being projected onto her clothes. She knew from her studies how cold it could get in deep space. Though she knew full well that was not where she was, the image before her looked so real that she could not help keep her teeth from chattering.

Instinctively, she reached for her mouth to clamp her jaw shut, forgetting that her helmet was covering it up anyway—and promptly got a second shock as her palm clocked her right in the visor; it had moved so quickly that Masumi had no chance to stop herself. _Too quickly_ , she thought …

And then she received another, greater shock as she saw Fuyu literally _floating above the ground_ , Duel Disk at the ready. A thin tether sprouted from his left arm, anchoring him to the hull of the "world-ship" they were standing on. The computer's advisory of "environmental adaptation", and Masumi's errant movement, was instantly explained.

"A micro-G environment," she murmured; of course RSV generators could be capable of even this. After all, she reasoned, if _Gravity Sixteen_ could manipulate the gravity of Duelists' surroundings by altering the mass of the hard-light constructs it created, then it must be a relatively simple task to _nullify_ the gravity of the real world altogether. She guessed that the generator must be emitting some kind of antigravity field, projecting it through the world-ship under her feet.

Fuyu merely smiled as Masumi voiced her suspicions. "I'm not the one you should be asking about this field," he rasped through his helmet. "My parents helped put it together—but even if you asked them, they'd just say it was a 'trade secret'." He chuckled again as he put a finger to his visor in a shushing gesture. "We would have to have a _lot_ more Duels together if you wanted to know how this field works."

It was Masumi's turn to grin. "Well, the night's still young, Fuyu," she said as she hefted her Duel Disk. "I may have to take you up on that offer in the future—though I still think _Gravity Sixteen_ is a lot more fun," she added.

The Xyz Duelist suddenly looked downcast. "So I've heard," he said sadly. "Sometimes I wish I could Duel there like the _other_ kids. But I'm just not strong enough for a place like that—I'm not sure I ever will be."

Masumi bit her lip, mentally kicking herself for being so insensitive. But just as suddenly, Fuyu smiled again. "It doesn't matter, though," he said. "This Action Field is the only one I need. When I'm in here, I can be as strong as I want to be. I can jump as high as I want, and fly for as long as I want. In here, I can forget about being weaker or sicker than everyone else. In here … I can be _free_."

The Fusion user couldn't help but grin; Fuyu was almost beaming at this point. _No wonder his parents said he took a shine to this Action Field_. Being weighed down by the limitations of one's body was a heavy weight indeed—but Fuyu, despite everything he'd been through, had found a way to succeed.

"Hokuto- _san_ helped me realize I could turn my sickness—my weakness—into a _strength_ ," Fuyu told her, reaching for his Deck, ready to begin. "I always had to rely on him for my Duels … but I know now that's impossible. When you bring him back, I'll tell him how much stronger I am—and I'll tell him that I beat you to do it!"

 _That's the spirit_ , thought Masumi triumphantly as both children shouted, "DUEL!" at the same time.

"I'm going first!" she cried for the third time today, before her screen had already switched to Dueling mode. Masumi took one look at the top five cards she'd drawn from her Deck to start, and grinned.

"First, I activate the Spell Card: _Gem-Knight Fusion_!" she declared. "I can use this to fuse monsters on my field or in my hand for a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse the _Gem-Knights Ganet_ , _Roumaline_ , and _Saphire!_ "

All but one of the cards in her hand were slotted into her Graveyard; behind her, three knights in differently-colored armor were sucked into the swirling, glowing whirlpool behind her.

 **"Crystal of burning resolve!"** Masumi shouted to the heavens. **"Gem tinged with lightning! Stone of selfless sacrifice! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"** _ **Fusion Summon!**_ **One who illuminates everything with its supreme radiance!** _ **Gem-Knight Master Dia!**_ **"**

The gleaming armor of the new Fusion Monster (Level 9: _ATK 2900_ /DEF 2500) looked positively radiant against the mirror-polished surface of the world-ship. Light sparkled out in all directions, making it look as though _Master Dia_ , gigantic sword and all, was shining like a brand-new star.

" _Gem-Knight Master Dia's_ effect gives it 100 ATK for every _Gem-_ monster in my Graveyard," Masumi explained. She had to shield her eyes from the glare; Master Dia's armor was shining much brighter as its ATK grew to 3200.

Masumi now turned her attention to the last card in her hand. "And now—Continuous Spell: _Brilliant Fusion!_ I can use _this_ card to fuse monsters from my _Deck_ for a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse the _Gem-Knights Sanyx_ , _Amber_ , and _Iola_!"

Three cards jutted out from her Deck, and were themselves sent to the Graveyard at the same time that three more armored figures rose into the waiting vortex.

 **"Gem of crimson fire!"** Masumi chanted. **"Stone of golden ages! Crystal of eternal ice! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"Fusion Summon! My true ace—the dazzling** _ **Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia!**_ **"**

As _Master Dia's_ ATK climbed further still to 3500, the strongest monster in Masumi's Deck took a position beside it (Level 10: _ATK 3400_ /DEF 2000). Its luminescent armor shone brighter than _Master Dia's_ , if that was possible, and the RSV generator must have noticed; Masumi started as her vision began to dim, but it was only for a moment. The visor of hard light covering her face was filtering out the brightest of the light her monsters were emitting, allowing her to Duel without having to shield her eyes all the time.

" _Brilliant Fusion's_ second effect," she continued, "causes the ATK and DEF of any monster Fusion Summoned by its effect to become 0." Almost instantly, _Brilliant Dia_ 's armor lost its luster, along with all its strength. "However, by discarding a Spell Card, I can return that monster's ATK and DEF to its original values—and that includes Action Cards!"

So it was that she immediately took off in search of any glimmers of light—and promptly careened into a pylon of silver metal. Thankfully, the safety systems in the Action Field prevented her from suffering any harm—though it did nothing for Masumi's pride.

Of course, she thought, cursing as she got to her feet. It was a basic law of physics—an object in motion stayed in motion unless acted upon by an external force! Without that external force—in this case, _gravity_ —being present here, there was nothing she could have done to slow her path and avoid hitting the pylon at such a speed.

She shook her head to gather her bearings, then took off again—though with much less effort this time, only a slight hop that sent her floating mere inches over the surface. At any other time, Masumi might have found the experience quite unusual, but she did not intend to let herself be distracted from the onset of the Duel.

As she glided over the world-ship, continuing her search, she did a quick examination of the spacesuit edited onto her clothes, remembering that Fuyu had used some kind of grapnel to tether himself to the ground. Something like that clearly wasn't meant to be part of his real suit, so Masumi had to assume it had been edited onto his clothing.

Which in turn meant … _Aha_ , she thought as she saw a boxlike shape on her left fist—just big enough to lay flush with her Duel Disk—sewn onto the hard-light fabric. At the same moment, something twinkled in the distance, on a pylon of polished metal some twenty feet above her—

Thinking quickly, Masumi made a fist with her left hand, raising it at the structure. As if on cue, a streak of dark gray thread issued from the device, straight for the pylon. Bare moments later, Masumi felt a tug on the tether, and had only a moment to gather her wits about her as she was _winched_ into the air, straight for the Action Card—

Fuyu, incredibly, was observing the proceedings with an amused little smile on his face as he floated above the hull, but he was doing nothing to contest her at all. On the other hand, the Xyz user seemed content to watch her struggle with getting used to the Action Field—but Masumi had always been a quick study, and Action Fields, no matter how varied in their design, had essentially the same function: use the terrain to find Action Cards.

Moments later, find one she did. "I discard the Action Card _Cosmo Arrow_ to return _Brilliant Dia's_ ATK and DEF to their original values!" declared Masumi as she retracted her tether, then nudged herself off the pylon, slowly drifting back to the surface of the gigantic vessel. Her ace monster's armor, meanwhile, began to shine once more as Cosmo Arrow was slipped into Masumi's Graveyard, allowing the massive knight to regain her strength.

"And with that," said the Fusion Duelist, having no more cards to play, "I end my turn."

The odd little smile was still on Fuyu's face as he drew a card. "Not bad," Masumi heard him whisper through his helmet. "It takes most Duelists a lot longer than a single turn to get used to _this_ Action Field. Action Duels require a strong body—something I don't have. But _here_ , a Duelist's own strength is turned against him—something you learned the hard way." He indicated the pylon Masumi had crashed into.

"And that's a lesson I'm going to teach you right now," Fuyu added. "First, I'll Normal Summon _Satellarknight Vega_ in Attack Position!" He swiped a card on his blade; a lean humanoid in white-gold armor and light purple robes shimmered into being in front of him (Level 4: _ATK 1200_ /DEF 1600). A golden hoop with a single sphere—rather like a charm bracelet—revolved around its waist, glinting with light.

"Once per turn, if _Vega_ is Summoned," said Fuyu, "I can Special Summon another _tellarknight_ monster from my hand. I choose to Summon _Satellarknight Procyon!_ " A second humanoid appeared beside _Vega_ ; similar in appearance but smaller (Level 4: _ATK 1300_ /DEF 1200). In place of _Vega's_ purple robes, _Procyon_ was clad in an orange jumpsuit beneath a set of shining armor with a decidedly canine appearance.

Masumi noted the identical Levels of the two monsters, and braced herself. Something told her Fuyu was going to be Xyz Summoning this turn—it was exactly the same sort of thing Hokuto would try to do with a field like this.

"Once per turn, if _Procyon_ is Summoned," Fuyu explained, slotting a card into his Graveyard, "I can send a _tellarknight_ monster from my hand to the Graveyard, then draw a card." In one fluid motion, his hand moved to his Deck and drew. Instantly, his smile widened.

"Next, the Quick-Play Spell: _Summon Chain_!" The card was swiped on Fuyu's screen bare moments after he'd drawn it. "By activating this card, I can Normal Summon up to _three_ times this turn! Since I've already used one such Summon on _Vega_ , that means I can Summon up to two more monsters! And those monsters will be _Satellarknight Betelgeuse_ and _Satellarknight Sirius_!"

Two more swiped cards later, two monsters in silver-gold armor appeared on either side of _Vega_ and _Procyon_ : one wearing burgundy under its armor and wielding a glowing pink hoop (Level 4: _ATK 700_ /DEF 1900); the other, a bluish-gray and wearing a helm that made it look much more dog-like than _Procyon_ (Level 4: _ATK 1600_ /DEF 900).

Masumi's earlier suspicions were confirmed as she analyzed the rapidity with which Fuyu was swarming his field. _There's no way he isn't bringing out an Xyz Monster this turn_ , she thought—not while he had so many monsters with identical Levels under his control.

" _Betelgeuse_ and _Sirius_ can activate their own effects if they're Summoned as well," Fuyu told her, "but there's no point in doing that this turn. Besides, I think I know what you want to see—so I'll go ahead and oblige you."

He raised his gloved hand to the heavens. "Now, using my Level 4 _Satellarknights Procyon_ , _Betelgeuse_ , and _Sirius_ … I will construct the Overlay Network!"

The three monsters transformed into shining swirls of bright yellow light, racing for the vortex that had suddenly appeared above Fuyu's head. Unlike the multicolored whirlpool of a Fusion Summon, though, this was more akin to the vast galaxy that dominated the void, its epicenter darker than darkness itself:

 **"Great knight of the winter sky,"** recited Fuyu, **"whose blade was forged in the farthest reaches of the void, vanquish your enemies with furious might!"**

That mass of darkness now began to glow; something was emerging from within the miniature galaxy. An anxious Masumi could barely make out a vaguely triangular shape, lavender in color, with an armored fist in the center—

 **"Xyz Summon! Come forth before us! Rank 4!** ** _Stellarknight Triver!_** **"**

Suddenly, that triangle began to unfold, like some imitation of a flower. The three hoops that had once encircled the monsters now lined its surface, and the entire construct shifted to reveal the giant warrior that hefted it like a shield. Nine feet tall, and swathed in a cape of pure white, _Triver_ brandished a saber of purple energy at Masumi's pair of _Gem-Knights_ as it settled onto the field (Rank 4: _ATK 2100_ /DEF 2500; ORU 3).

It was an impressive entrance indeed, Masumi admitted, but not enough to survive against the field she possessed. She could only guess Fuyu would take a leaf out of Shen's and Hotene's own books and increase _Triver's_ ATK to the point that it could. _So I ought to be doing the same thing to_ my _monsters_ , she thought as she began looking around for Action Cards.

"The very first lesson I learned from Hokuto- _san_ is that Duels are not won on strength alone," Fuyu was saying in the meantime. "That urge to cut loose is something every Duelist faces at least once in their career—even he wasn't immune to that. You have to know when to use what strength you have. The more you show it off, the more it tires you out—and the earlier in a Duel you're tired out, the more certain you are to lose."

He turned his attention to the Xyz Monster behind him, its Overlay Units swirling around its muscular form like the electrons of an atom. " _Stellarknight Triver's_ effect activates when it's Xyz Summoned," Fuyu explained, "and returns all other cards on the field to the hand!"

Masumi's eyes widened. All _of them?!_

But it was too late for her to find an Action Card; _Triver's_ shield was already glowing with light. Suddenly, a pulse of energy radiated outward, washing over the Action Field. Every monster caught in the shockwave shimmered out of existence, reverting to its original card form—including Fuyu's own _Vega_ and Masumi's _Brilliant Fusion_. _Master Dia_ , meanwhile, being a Fusion Monster, was gathered up by Masumi and returned back to the Extra Deck.

As for _Brilliant Dia_ … "When _Brilliant Fusion_ leaves the field," she muttered, mentally cursing all the while as she slipped her ace into the Graveyard slot, "the monster it Fusion Summoned is destroyed."

"I'm sorry for ruining your advantage that way," Fuyu said, his voice quite contrite even through his helmet, "but you needed to learn that lesson for yourself, Masumi. You can't use so much of your strength so quickly."

Then, almost as an afterthought, "Every time he Dueled me during practice, Hokuto- _san_ made sure I learned that lesson the same way you did. He never enjoyed doing it at first—he didn't like beating me, because he would be worried how I would take a loss to anyone, especially his best friend. But deep down, I knew what he was saying was right—that there was nothing wrong with saving my strength for when I needed it the most.

"Now, I activate _Triver's_ second effect," he said. "By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can target a card in my opponent's hand, and send it to the Graveyard! Normally, I would choose that card at random—but since you only have a single card in your hand … "

A resentful Masumi didn't wait for him to finish; she was already moving _Brilliant Fusion_ into her Graveyard. But again, _Triver_ was too quick for her; as one of its Overlay Units dissolved, the sword it carried sliced in a horizontal arc, releasing a wave of energy that passed through her without a pause. _Brilliant Fusion_ —or at least, a hard-light imitation—briefly glowed before disintegrating into a million shards as she slid the real card into her Graveyard.

 _Triver_ readied its sword once more as Fuyu declared, "Battle Phase! _Stellarknight Triver_ , attack Masumi directly!" Again the blade was swung low and wide, releasing another shockwave—but this time, Masumi was ready; she'd just barely caught a glimpse of an Action Card off to her left, and had already fired the piton on her first to transport her there.

Within seconds, that Action Card was in her hand. She huffed—it wasn't what she wanted, but it might still help her all the same. "Action Spell: _Twinkle Comet_!" she cried. "This lowers a monster's ATK by 1000 until the End Phase—and also inflicts 500 damage to my opponent!"

A streak of light above them split the heavens in two, growing into a black mass that crackled with red energy. A moment later, that mass had slammed into _Triver_ , causing it to stumble as its ATK dropped to 1100. The force of the impact was felt all over the massive vessel, distorting the energy that washed over both Duelists—dropping the Fusion user's LP to a decent 2900 rather than 1900, while Fuyu's were lowered to 3500.

 _At least I managed to soften the blow_ , Masumi thought, dusting herself off from the assault. _Hopefully that bought me enough time for a counterattack_. She started searching for another Action Card to use, and saw a glint of light high and off to her left, between her and Fuyu.

But the Xyz Duelist had seen her searching. "Not this time," he said, signaling to _Triver_. The Xyz Monster leapt into the void as if strapped to a rocket, crossing the distance between the two Duelists in a matter of seconds. Before Masumi thought to activate her piton, _Triver_ had already clasped the card in its armored fingers, and flung it to Fuyu with pinpoint accuracy.

She stared wild-eyed as the satisfied Xyz user added the card to his hand. It was a good use of resources on Fuyu's part, though—using them to grab Action Cards instead of relying on his own physique. This way, Fuyu could significantly reduce the time he needed to find an Action Card, and cover much more ground in his search—though this still did not change the fact that he could only have one in his hand at any time.

"I Set one card, and end my turn," said Fuyu, swiping one last card on his blade. " _Twinkle Comet's_ effect now ends, and restores _Triver's_ ATK back to normal." His Xyz Monster got to its feet, the scintillating lavender blade held at the ready once more.

In Masumi's experience, 2100 ATK was strong, but not remarkably so. Considering that she had no cards in her hand or on her field, however, that 2100 ATK was liable to do a lot more damage. Not enough to finish her on its own, thankfully, but the Fusion user would need the mother of all lucky draws just to take this monster down.

She exhaled, slowly placing her fingers on the top card in her Deck, breathed back in—and out again. "My turn!"

The card was drawn with rather more force than necessary, especially in the near-zero-G environment around her, but Masumi recovered quickly, twirling on her boot in a pirouette that somehow didn't send her spinning to the ground.

The excitement quickly ebbed, however, when she saw the card in her hand. _That was_ not _the card I was hoping for_ , she thought. _But I guess I can make do with it. I don't have much of a choice, anyway_.

"I Normal Summon _Gemresis_ in Attack Position!" she declared. A golden-brown ball of armor appeared in front of her, rapidly uncurling into the form of an armadillo (Level 4: _ATK 1700_ /DEF 500).

"When _Gemresis_ is Normal Summoned, I can add a _Gem-Knight_ monster from my Deck to my hand," explained Masumi as a card was ejected from her Deck into her waiting fingers.

"Next, I activate the effect of the Gem-Knight Fusion in my Graveyard!" she said. "By banishing a Gem-Knight monster from my Graveyard, I can add it back to my hand. So I'll banish _Gem-Knight Saphire_!" One swiped and slotted card later: "Now I'll activate that _Gem-Knight Fusion_ , and fuse the _Gemresis_ on my field with the _Gem-Knight Emeral_ in my hand for a Fusion Summon!"

An image of the knight in spring-green armor materialized behind her, sucked in alongside the gilded armadillo into yet another tornado of colored light while Masumi proclaimed:

 **"Genesis of sparkling jewels! Brilliant emerald of good fortune! In a whirlpool of light, combine to form a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"Fusion Summon! One who illuminates the shadows with unyielding resolution!** ** _Gem-Knight Zirconia_** **!"**

Another massive armored knight in silver armor leapt forth from the vortex, larger by far than any _Gem-Knight_ Masumi had Summoned today. Three times taller as the girl who'd called him forth and at least ten times broader, the monster brandished piledriver-like fists as big as her bed (Level 8: _ATK 2900_ /DEF 2500).

"Battle Phase!" shouted Masumi. " _Gem-Knight Zirconia_ , attack _Stellarknight Triver_!" The gigantic knight charged for Triver with all the speed and power of a locomotive, raising one of those giant fists in the air.

But—"Quick-Play Spell: _Starcrossed Satellarknights_!" declared Fuyu as he revealed his face-down card. "Once per turn, I can target a _tellarknight_ monster I control—then, by shuffling that monster back into my Deck, I can then Special Summon another _tellarknight_ monster with a different name from my Deck! I target my _Stellarknight Triver_ to Special Summon _Satellarknight Altair_!"

 _Zirconia_ skidded to a halt and leapt back to Masumi's side as his target suddenly vanished from view, Overlay Units and all, and was returned to the Extra Deck from whence it came. In its place appeared a much smaller knight with blue silk under its white-gold armor, wings sprouting from its shoulder blades—and most noticeably to a nonplussed Masumi, a _Level_ (Level 4: _ATK 1700_ /DEF 1300).

 _He removed an Xyz Monster from a field when it still had Xyz Material?_ she wondered. _Not only that, he Summoned a_ weaker _monster in Triver's place?! What's Fuyu planning here?_

"Once per turn, if _Altair_ is Summoned," Fuyu said to her, "I can target a _tellarknight_ monster with a different name in my Graveyard, then Special Summon it in Defense Position. I choose to revive _Satellarknight Deneb_!"

Masumi, not having heard the name of the monster up until now, guessed Fuyu must have sent this _Deneb_ to the Graveyard on his first turn when he'd activated Procyon's effect. _So even then, he'd meant to do this …_ she mused. _He must be setting up for another Xyz Summon—a more powerful one, too_.

She looked around—surreptitiously, so as not to attract Fuyu's attention—trying to make out the telltale glints of any more Action Cards. It didn't take long for her sharp eyes to see a promising target—and even better, it was placed such that while _Zirconia_ attacked a new target, Fuyu would never suspect she'd picked it up.

Gently, Masumi kicked at _Zirconia's_ hard-light heel, gesturing behind her back to the twinkle of light that lay some distance behind her. She dared not attract any more attention than that, nor did she check to see if the monster had taken her meaning; the last thing she wanted to do was to make a scene in front of her opponent. It was imperative that Fuyu keep that Action Card in his hand until the last possible moment.

In the meantime, Fuyu had Special Summoned a new monster that Masumi presumed to be _Deneb_ : a graceful humanoid whose pure white clothing outshone even the golden trim on its armor (Level 4: ATK 1500/ _DEF 1000_ ). As with _Altair_ , wings also sprouted from its shoulders; in addition, it weaved a caduceus-like sword this way and that in a dance as elegant as it was deadly.

"Once per turn, if _Deneb_ is Summoned," Fuyu was saying, "I can add a _tellarknight_ monster with a different name from my Deck to my hand." He swiped up a card as he gestured to Masumi, seemingly inviting her to attack.

The Fusion user was only willing to oblige; _Zirconia's_ advantage in ATK strength had the potential to do a great deal of damage to Fuyu's LP. If she found the right Action Card as well, that damage could even be potentially game-ending!

 _Time to put my plan into motion_ , she thought. " _Gem-Knight Zirconia_!" she cried out, "attack _Satellarknight Altair_!" The enormous figure slowly backed away from Masumi, retreating behind her to where she knew that Action Card was—preparing itself for a massive charge as he did so.

Then, right as _Zirconia_ reached the card—he _launched_ forward with a mighty roar. The car-sized knight hurtled for Fuyu's monster like a juggernaut—and in its wake was the Action Card Masumi had sought. She caught it with her fingertips, turned it over—and frowned. Again, it wasn't the card she was hoping for, she thought as she added it to her hand—but it would still prove to be extremely damaging if Fuyu did what she was expecting him to do.

And sure enough, mere seconds before _Zirconia's_ piledriver hands would have reduced _Altair_ to hard-light pulp … "Action Spell: _Wings of Dimension_!" cried Fuyu as he played the Action Card _Triver_ had procured for him last turn. "I can negate the destruction of one monster on my field this turn!"

Masumi cringed as _Altair_ took the punch from _Zirconia_ right in its chest—but _Altair_ had gone with it, using the momentum to catapult itself away from _Zirconia_ and right towards Fuyu. Masumi wasn't worried about the monster not being destroyed; firstly, _Wings of Dimension_ didn't negate battle damage, as evidenced by _Altair_ colliding with _Fuyu_ and dropping his LP to 2300. The Xyz Duelist collided with the spotless hull of the world-ship in much the same way Masumi had earlier, though again the safety systems of the Action Field stopped the worst of the damage.

But Masumi wasn't done with her turn yet—because _secondly_ : "Action Spell: _Cosmo Salvo_!" she declared. "I can inflict 500 damage to my opponent for every Spell Card activated this turn—including Action Cards, and especially _this_ Action Card!"

Fuyu immediately scrabbled to his feet as quickly as the zero-G environment would let him. Undeterred, Masumi continued, "Besides this Spell Card, there were three other spells activated this turn—my _Gem-Knight Fusion_ , then your _Starcrossed Satellarknights_ and _Wings of Dimension_ —which means 2000 points of damage!"

High above them, a quartet of shooting stars hovered into view above the world-ship, one for each activated Spell. Each one crashed down on Fuyu with the force of a small bomb—and while the safety protocols of the Field softened the blows once again, Masumi could not help but cringe at the damage she had inflicted.

The barrage of celestial phenomena was over as soon as it had begun, but it felt like ages before Fuyu finally stood back up, his LP gauge now reading a threadbare 300. He was breathing heavily, and Masumi couldn't blame him. "I end my turn with that," she said, as _Zirconia_ plodded back to her side of the field.

"Are you holding up okay, Fuyu?" Masumi called out, remembering how fragile Fuyu's body was. "I understand if you're not feeling in the best shape. I'm willing to call off the Duel if you can't go on any further."

Fuyu coughed for slightly longer than she was comfortable with hearing, and his subsequent thumbs-up did little to assuage her concern. "I'm all right." His raspy voice was barely intelligible through the helmet. "It's only a little rust. I haven't been in the mood to Duel since the championship. This is what I get for not practicing in that time."

He stood up to his full height. "Besides," he added, "I don't think the lesson has fully _sunk in_ for you yet."

 _Lesson?_ Masumi frowned in confusion for a moment, before remembering what Fuyu had said about weakness and strength. "You want this Duel to be over with, don't you?" Fuyu went on. "That's why you brought out a monster as strong as _Zirconia_. You're hoping to finish this Duel as quickly as you can—but why?"

Masumi grit her teeth. She wasn't ready to talk about that yet—events had not yet gone completely in her favor today, and she needed to be a hundred percent sure that the conditions were right before she told them everything.

"Let's just say that I've got plans after this Duel," she said after some thought, "and I'd really appreciate it if everyone could be a part of them. I'll tell you more then."

Fuyu's visible eye slowly blinked as he considered this. "All right, then," he said as he drew. "If it's that important to you … then I won't keep you waiting. I Normal Summon _Satellarknight Vega_ in Attack Position!"

The purple-robed humanoid from before appeared between Fuyu's other two monsters, striking a confident pose in front of its Summoner (Level 4: _ATK 1200_ /DEF 1600). Masumi braced herself once more—she knew what was coming next.

"Now, using my Level 4 _Satellarknights Altair_ , _Vega_ , and _Deneb_ ," yelled Fuyu, "I construct the Overlay Network once again!" For the second time this Duel, all three of his monsters glowed with yellow energy, and zipped into the newly formed galaxy in the center of his field.

 **"Shining knight of the summer sky,"** Fuyu began chanting, **"whose blade was forged in the blazing wrath of the stars, cut down your foes with blinding light!"**

Once again, Masumi saw a rapidly growing pinpoint of light within the darkness of the swirling Network, solidifying just as quickly into a triangular shape. This one, though, was different from before …

 **"Xyz Summon! Come forth before us! Rank 4!** ** _Stellarknight Deltatheros!_** **"**

The Xyz Monster rocketed from the miniature galaxy with the speed of a meteor. It was slightly taller than _Triver_ , though similarly dressed in bluish-white armor (Rank 4: _ATK 2500_ /DEF 2100; ORU 3). The light from its unfurled shield was a bright, deep gold rather than a light, airy lavender, while the sword it carried—almost identical to the caduceus carried by _Deneb_ —looked much sharper than its design suggested.

Though it was stronger than _Triver_ , _Deltatheros_ was still not strong enough to best Masumi's _Zirconia_ —and that only made her more certain that Fuyu was going to deal with the _Gem-Knight_ in some way. _Might be time to look for some more Action Cards_ , she thought as she began scanning the hull of the ship once more.

"Next, I activate the Equip Spell: _Stellarknight Factor_ , and equip it to my _Deltatheros_ ," Fuyu was saying in the meantime, sliding another card from his hand into his Duel Disk, "Any _tellarknight_ monster equipped with this card gains 500 ATK and DEF—and in addition, it is immune to any and all of my opponent's card effects!"

 _That's not good_ , thought a suddenly uneasy Masumi as _Deltatheros'_ armored body began to glow from within, as if by a miniature sun. That one card had suddenly made the Xyz Monster all but indestructible, she knew—meaning her chances of finding the right Action Card to deal with this new threat had been significantly reduced. She immediately set about redoubling her search.

"Next, I activate _Deltatheros'_ effect!" Fuyu called out. "Once per turn, by detaching one of its Overlay Units, I can target a monster on the field, and destroy it!"

Masumi's eyes widened. The implications had sunk in even before one of the orbiting Overlay Units had been absorbed into _Deltatheros'_ sword, causing it to glow with yet more energy. She had 2900 Life Points—and _Deltatheros_ had 3000 ATK. And there was absolutely nothing in its way.

 _Zirconia's_ body was vaporized into photonic dust almost instantly thereafter—but Masumi was already making a speedy departure of her own. _I need an Action Card right now_ , she thought, not even caring if Fuyu had seen her make a break for it—

But a brief shadow over her head told her that he had indeed seen—and a quick look upwards caused her stomach to drop like a lead weight. _Deltatheros_ formed a breathtaking tableaux as its ten-foot-tall form gracefully leapt into the void, superimposed against the gigantic galaxy above the two Duelists. But any sense of beauty was quickly lost on Masumi; she knew there was only one reason why _Deltatheros_ would do such a thing.

Sure enough, the Xyz Monster had alighted on one of the gigantic, rib-like pylons, just close enough for Masumi to see a tiny glint of light clutched in its hand. _Deltatheros_ flicked its arm, throwing that glint of light with the speed of an arrow, straight into the grasp of Fuyu.

The Xyz user spared just enough time for a satisfied, if relieved smile before delivering the finishing blow. "Battle Phase!" he cried out. " _Stellarknight Deltatheros_ , attack Masumi directly! _Sacred Blade Slash!_ "

 _Deltatheros_ performed a mighty leap off the pylon, hurling its blade aloft as it plunged right for Masumi. Before the Fusion Duelist could think to run, that blade had swung in a downward arc, releasing a wave of golden energy that caught her almost immediately. She felt a force like a heated, blunt knife dead center in her forehead and working its way down her body—and then she was airborne, pushed back by the force of the Xyz Monster's final attack—and with the near-total absence of gravity in this Action Field, there was nothing to slow her fall, let alone stop it.

Fortunately, she had the sense to fire her wrist-mounted piton one last time, right as her LP dwindled to zero for the third time today. The thread flew straight and true, allowing Masumi to winch herself to the hull, preventing herself from being blown away any further. But she need not have worried; the moment her feet touched ground, the hard light of the Action Field was dissolving, as was her spacesuit, tether and all. Within seconds, the space around them had quickly reassumed the daunting proportions of the spherical dome that enclosed the planetarium.

Masumi needed a few moments to get to her feet; her first experience of micro-G, however brief it might have been, had been so disconcerting that her entire body felt almost as wobbly and leaden as her first time inside _Gravity Sixteen_. A quick look behind her showed that Fuyu had already gotten to his feet, though with the assistance of his parents, who Masumi guessed had exited the control room immediately after the Duel's conclusion.

Just behind them was Hotene, whose leap into the planetarium had been such that Masumi thought the little girl had springs in her shoes. "Phooey," she pouted. "I wanted to fly like Masu- _chan_ , too."

Masumi laughed. "I'm sure you'll get a chance eventually, Hotene," she assured her, "but believe me when I say that zero gravity isn't all it's made out to be." She rubbed at one of the lingering aches of the Duel that had flared up as if to reinforce her point.

"That was amazing, Fuyu!" gushed Mrs. Rokkaku in the meantime as she held him in a tight hug. Extravagant praise or no, the support had a clear effect on Fuyu; he was beaming more brightly than Masumi had ever seen him tonight. His pale face looked as bright as the full moon.

"It really was incredible," Masumi agreed. "That was one of the most complicated Action Fields I've ever seen—and I'm counting my Duel with Hotene. Your son deserved to win tonight. Hokuto couldn't have asked for a better Xyz Duelist to be his Dueling partner."

She didn't listen to Fuyu's parents thanking her for the compliments; Yaiba and Shen were just now emerging from the control room. The latter Synchro Duelist's face was as impassive as ever, though Masumi could have sworn he'd given a very subtle nod of approval. Her attention, however, was focused all the way on Yaiba. In complete contrast to Shen, he was staring at her with an expression of extreme disapproval that she didn't like at all.

"Walk with me." Yaiba's low voice did not invite debate. "We need to talk."

Knowing at a glance that she had little choice, the Fusion Duelist tore her eyes away from him just long enough for her to address everyone in the room. "Would you excuse us, please?" There was a general murmur of assent, at which Yaiba curtly jerked his head behind him, indicating she should follow.

* * *

Masumi didn't have to wait long for Yaiba to explain himself. The moment the two kids had reentered the main hallway of the planetarium, Yaiba spun around on his heel, and fixed her with a steely glare.

"All right." His voice was irregular, as though he was doing his damnedest to avoid shouting. "What the hell is going on here, Masumi? Three losses in one day?! You have _never_ had a losing streak this bad in all the time you've been part of the Fusion circuit! Yet you don't even look bothered by it at all."

Masumi huffed. "Didn't I make myself clear when we left the trampoline park earlier today?" she said, raising her voice just a smidgen. "This was never about winning or losing for me!"

"And what precisely is that supposed to—" Yaiba looked as though he was about to say something he was going to regret, but he thought better of it. "Never mind. I'm getting distracted here."

He heaved a shaky sigh. "Right now, Masumi, I don't really give a damn about how bad you might be Dueling today, and I don't particularly give a damn about whatever might be causing you to Duel so badly in the first place, either. What I _do_ give a damn about is the way you brought Fuyu into our little ragtag band."

"I didn't do anything different from what I did with Shen or Hotene," Masumi said hotly. "I gave them a choice to come with me or go about their business. They didn't have to win or lose the Duel—Hotene came with me because I made sure she had someone to play with today. Shen joined us because he trusted your better judgment. And Fuyu … " She exhaled. "Fuyu's part of our 'ragtag band' because he trusts _my_ better judg—"

" _He's trusting you to bring back Hokuto!_ " Yaiba exploded, and Masumi recoiled at the tirade. "From what I heard him say to you, he's become part of our group because _you_ made a _stupid_ decision to promise him the _impossible_ —and you knew that failing to follow through would mean shattering any amount of trust he might have had in you!"

"Keep your voice down!" Masumi hissed. "So maybe I did need a little leverage for Fuyu—but that doesn't mean I promised him something impossible. What makes you think we don't have what it takes to bring Hokuto back?"

"None of the Akabas could," Yaiba said shortly. "That doesn't exactly give me confidence in anyone else being able to help him, either." He stared Masumi in the eye. "So tell me—at what point did you think using the life of one of your best friends as a _bargaining chip_ would help win the trust of _his_ best friend?"

Masumi felt her nails digging into her palms as her hands clenched into fists. "Don't you _dare_ think I'm callous enough to do anything like that, Yaiba," she growled. "Fuyu joined me of his own free will—just like Shen and Hotene. I never forced any of them to make that decision, and I never deceived anyone in doing so, either!"

"The hell you didn't!" Yaiba's eyes flashed. "You lost that Duel against Fuyu _on purpose_!" Off Masumi's sudden look of blank shock: "If I don't hear a good reason why in _five seconds_ , then I'm sending everyone else home—and whatever grand plan you had in store for us today is going _down the drain_."

* * *

 **A/N: My old nemesis: interpersonal drama … we meet again. Don't worry; this little tiff won't affect the story much plot-wise. However, I did write most of this chapter on the fly, and I don't have any more backlog from here on out, either. So expect some delays while I hash out the final arc of this story.**

 **There's only a few chapters left, but they're all going to be doozies—both in length and in content. I'd like them to be as perfect as I can make them, so any constructive criticism on my story thus far is welcomed.**

 **Thanks in advance for your patience, and thanks for reading! - K**


	8. VIII

VIII

Over the past eight hours, Toudou Yaiba had watched one of his closest friends turn into a complete stranger. The positions that he and Masumi held at LDS, and the Duels they had been through—along with the tragedies that came with them, he added, thinking of Hokuto—had bonded them so tightly together that nothing could shake them apart.

Or so he'd thought.

The three of them had been so close-knit that there were no secrets between them—everyone knew everything about the other. But now that the three had become two, those interwoven bonds were beginning to loosen. Whether Hokuto's fate had become the catalyst for the change in Masumi's behavior, Yaiba did not know.

Nevertheless, as the day had progressed, he had noticed that her behavior was indeed changing, and the speed with which that change was progressing had alarmed him. At first, he hadn't entertained the thought that something might be off when Masumi had taken him to the trampoline park after lunch without any explanation, and met Hotene there—even though she had to know full well that Yaiba was still in no shape to enjoy the place.

Then he'd watched Masumi Duel the tiny, hyperactive Duelist, and to his shock, Masumi had _lost_. But the even greater shock had come moments later, with the revelation that Masumi had _enjoyed_ the Duel, despite that loss. Yaiba knew that if you were the top student in your class, the pressure would eventually be upon you to stay at the top for as long as your skills allowed you. If Masumi kept on losing enough Duels, that standing wasn't going to last for much long. He knew just as well, however, that Hotene was a high-caliber Duelist herself, in spite of her childish attitude. So he'd merely excused Masumi's loss as a fluke, and not bothered to bring it up again, with the knowledge that before long, the Fusion Duelist would be back to her winning ways.

That was when, like a bolt from the blue, she'd told him to take her to Shen. Again, she gave no explanation as to why she wanted to meet his practice partner—or indeed, when she'd challenged him to a Duel—but even after Yaiba had done his best to dissuade her, noting that her fatigue from Hotene's Duel put her at an immediate disadvantage against the far superior athleticism of the Synchro user.

He'd had faith in Masumi's mastery of Fusion Summoning, though, and for a time, that faith appeared to have been vindicated. But Shen had outsmarted her—baiting Masumi like a fish, then punishing her for being too aggressive. That made two losses in a single day—an already unheard-of statistic for such an elite member of LDS. Even then, as before, Masumi was not willing to answer his unspoken question as to what she was thinking.

Yet Masumi still had not been deterred. She'd kept on taxing her body until they arrived at the planetarium where Fuyu's family dwelled … and it was here that Yaiba's patience finally crumbled. For he had heard quite clearly the words Masumi had exchanged with the Xyz Duelist—so frail in body and mind, but far from it in spirit—

 _"… When you bring him back, I'll tell him how much stronger I am—and I'll tell him that I beat you to do it! … "_

At that point, Yaiba's brain had put two and two together. He'd nearly stormed out of the control room right then and there, to give Masumi a piece of his mind. She had _lied_ to them all—she'd used Yaiba, duped Hotene, and promised empty nothings to the one boy who couldn't have needed them less. No force on this planet could bring Hokuto back—maybe not even in this dimension. _Maybe not in any dimension_.

Perhaps fortunately for Masumi, Fuyu's mother and father had held him back, as the Duel was still in progress, and he was not equipped to enter the micro-G environment created by the Action Field. This in part had helped Yaiba to simmer down—though not by much; watching Masumi earn yet another loss she didn't deserve was the final straw.

He'd pulled her aside immediately afterward, then, even as a more rational side of him suggested that Yaiba find out Masumi's version of the story before taking out his anger on the only close friend he had left. But at the same time, another, darker side of the Synchro user wondered if the girl he was shouting at right now might still be his friend anymore—especially after the words that had just left his mouth.

* * *

"You lost that Duel against Fuyu _on purpose_! If I don't hear a good reason why in _five seconds_ , then I'm sending everyone else home—and whatever grand plan you had in store for us today is going _down the drain_."

Koutsu Masumi felt as though she'd just been slapped in the face.

All the air had been driven from her lungs, and she felt her face deflate in shock as Yaiba's words sank in. The Fusion Duelist's fists were trembling in barely suppressed fury at the insinuation that a Duelist of her level had cheated in order to get where she was now—an insinuation that had come from her _best friend_ , no less.

 _How dare he say something like that!_ Masumi had fumed—but showing her anger would be the worst thing to do in this situation, she knew. In just three seconds, everything Masumi had done since having her talk with Wendy was beginning to crumble—although hope was not lost yet. Though every fiber of her being wanted to grab Yaiba by the collar to slap some sense into the boy, Masumi could not let her emotions get the better of her at this crucial moment. Her friend still needed to see reason—but there were other ways to set him on that path that didn't involve costing them the friendship they shared. That was something she would _never_ sacrifice.

So, with great effort, Masumi relaxed her fists, taking a deep breath as she did so. "I already told you, Yaiba," she said, as evenly as her turbulent emotions would allow her voice to be. "I was never interested in winning or losing any of those Duels. This wasn't some tournament, where I had prize money or prestige at stake. I didn't have to worry about making mistakes that might decide my career as a Duelist."

She sighed. "I'll admit that it felt good to have that burden off my back for a change," she continued. "When I was Dueling Hotene, I felt this … _rush_ of energy, like nothing I've experienced in years. I can't even remember the last time I Dueled for _fun_. In fact, I'm not sure I ever did after I got into LDS, to tell you the truth. If I wasn't Dueling in tournaments or for final exams, I was Dueling to practice for them. There wasn't any middle ground."

"Is that all those three kids were to you?" Yaiba grunted, gesturing at the planetarium where Hotene, Shen, and Fuyu still waited. " _Practice_ for some tournament?!"

"Think about it, Yaiba!" shouted Masumi, just barely succeeding in keeping her exasperation out of her words. "Think about what I told you just now. I wasn't playing to win—but I've studied at LDS too long to lose on purpose. You know that. So what other answer does that leave you with?"

Yaiba's anger had faded, replaced by a rapidly mounting veneer of confusion. Spurred by this, Masumi continued on. "Do you remember the first class that we took at LDS together? Basics of Duel Tactics?"

The Synchro user slowly nodded.

Masumi forced a small smile on her face, knowing Yaiba was recalling his memories of that class long ago—and played her last card. "What was the final lesson we learned in that class?"

Yaiba blinked owlishly for a moment, brow furrowed as his mind dredged up years-old lectures, before … "'The greatest victory … is that which requires no battle,'" he replied.

Masumi could almost see the light bulb flicking on inside his brain as the words left his mouth. "That's what you were doing," he said, almost in a whisper, anger completely gone. "You never wanted to beat them … you just wanted to know _how_ you could beat them."

It wasn't completely correct—but Yaiba wasn't wrong, either. "It's a little more complex than that," Masumi said. "We already know how to form strategies against Decks we haven't beaten before—but I'm not looking to Duel against any of the Decks I saw today, Yaiba."

She paused here—perhaps for dramatic effect—and then: "I'm looking to Duel _with_ them."

Yaiba's eyes widened. " _With_ them?"

Masumi nodded. "It's one thing to form a strategy against a Deck you've never seen. But forming a strategy that synergizes with your Deck, makes it work _alongside_ your own, instead of _against_ it—that's another thing entirely."

The Synchro user's mouth was working soundlessly like a fish, and it took several moments of holding the same nonplussed expression before Yaiba finally found his voice. "But … why, though?" he stammered. "Why go to all that trouble for _complete strangers_?"

Masumi sighed—there was the big question. Though she knew she would have to answer it sooner or later, now was not the time … even if that time was looking closer and closer with each passing moment. Nor could she call her three opponents _complete_ strangers, as she had seen each of them once before, in a sense—though it still begged the question as to how it had occurred to her to find Hotene, Shen, and Fuyu in the first place.

"Why don't we head back inside?" she asked, nudging her head towards the planetarium. "There's one last thing I want to do before I go to sleep tonight—and I promise you that before then, I'll have told everyone _everything_."

She looked Yaiba in the eye. "I swear on my honor as a Duelist."

Masumi paused to take in Yaiba's expression. She could almost see the gears turning in his head, knowing as well as he did that this was not an oath to be broken lightly—especially by students of such a prestigious Duel School. Yet she was also more than aware that the Synchro Duelist was still not happy about being kept in the dark about all this—she would have to make her explanation _perfect_. By doing that, she could come clean with Yaiba and the others, and still hold their interest in helping her achieve her final goal tonight.

After what seemed like an eternity of thought, Yaiba finally spoke. "What's this 'one last thing'?"

Masumi smiled warmly at him. "I was thinking about … having a _sleepover_."

* * *

That was how, not even sixty seconds later, she'd found herself flat on her back from the sheer volume of Hotene's joyous shriek.

"I wanna sleepover! I wanna sleepover!" she chanted over and over again as she bounced in place on the floor, scuffing the Plexiglas that protected the RSV generator below them. Masumi briefly wondered what in the world this girl's parents needed to give her just to get her to sleep.

On the positive side, Hotene's reaction had been much more positive than anyone else's. Yaiba, though thankfully far from angry, was no doubt still wondering what was going through Masumi's head, though he ultimately said nothing on the matter. Shen, predictably, had shown no strong feelings either one way or the other, while Fuyu had looked unsure—and most unusually, a little bit pink in the face.

"I don't think I'd be all that good at parties," the Xyz Duelist had responded when Masumi had asked why. "Maybe you don't know me all that well," he added, "but I'm … not as enthusiastic about spending time with people I don't know as _other_ kids might be." His bright blue eye lingered briefly on the ecstatic Hotene, whose grin was shining much brighter than Fuyu's pale face as she continued to leap about the room in glee.

Masumi thought she knew what Fuyu might be implying. No doubt he had seen plenty of sleepovers on television, and everything that went on inside them: pillow fights, movies, gossip, the works—things that generally made a sleepover about everything _but_ sleeping. Normally, the Fusion Duelist would have expressed her pity at Fuyu's apparent lack of self-confidence in social situations—but the sleepover Masumi had in mind would be so different from the popular conception that this supposed disadvantage wouldn't even matter.

"Can we go to my house for a sleepover, Masu- _chan_?" Hotene chirped, popping up out of nowhere and dispelling Masumi's thoughts.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Yaiba told her. "None of us know where you live, Hotene—and it's pretty late as it is. Besides, some of us probably aren't in any more shape to do any traveling." He stole a look at Masumi, and the Fusion Duelist failed to suppress a massive yawn. She had indeed exerted herself immensely today—only the plan she'd drawn up that afternoon had kept Masumi from falling asleep here and now.

"I'd offer if my house wasn't so far away—and if it wasn't so small," she said. "And even if my father had the time to pick us up after work, there's still too many of us to go there at one time."

"Same here," Yaiba chimed in. "Probably better that we all stay in one place anyway, isn't it?"

Masumi took out her Duel Disk. "I can call my father now, and tell him I'll be spending the night with a friend. He trusts me enough that I shouldn't have to tell him anything more than that."

"That still leaves Hotene," said Yaiba. "She's still only nine years old, remember—so I doubt her parents are as liberal with her as your dad might be with you. Spending the day with strangers who're all older than you is one thing. Spending the _night_ is another."

"Then there is only one logical choice."

Shen, who alone had yet to offer his opinion in all this, was unfazed as Masumi and Yaiba turned in his direction. "If _your_ mother and father wish you to be properly supervised," he said with a nod at Hotene, who had stopped bouncing on the balls of her feet to listen to the Synchro user, "and if no one _else_ is willing to travel a long way at such a late hour"—his dark eyes flicked to Masumi and Yaiba in turn—"then perhaps it is best that we stay where we are, especially since one of us is not well enough to do much traveling at all."

He bowed briefly to Fuyu. "I mean no offense," he quickly added as the pale face of the Xyz Duelist shrunk under his silvery hair, "I simply believe it is best that we keep your health in mind, even now. Am I not right, Masumi?"

It was hard to argue with the assertion—even if Shen had been rather roundabout in his questioning. Masumi, therefore, nodded briefly.

Apparently satisfied with this, Shen now turned his attention to Mr. and Mrs. Rokkaku. "Would you agree?" he asked. "Would it be for the best if this … sleepover were to be held right here, in your planetarium?"

Fuyu's face shrunk further still—though not before Masumi had caught a very pink tinge in his one visible cheek. She couldn't blame him for reacting that way—even if Fuyu showed vast signs of improvement from the broken Xyz Duelist she'd first encountered barely an hour ago, the thought of hosting a sleepover with people you didn't know was a big leap from Dueling someone you didn't know.

That said, Shen had made a good suggestion; not only that, he was taking everyone's situation into consideration—more of that _loyalty_ Yaiba had mentioned, no doubt. Masumi's fatigue, Hotene's young age, Fuyu's health—hosting this sleepover at Fuyu's house would solve all of these problems. _Well_ , she reflected, almost _all of them_.

His parents, meanwhile, considered Shen's question, and Masumi could tell at a glance that one such problem was on their minds right now. "I don't see any problem with it," Mrs. Rokkaku said kindly. "You all seem well enough behaved—if energetic," she coughed with a look at the inhumanly wide smile that was Hotene's face.

"What about you, Fuyu?" her husband spoke. "The way we see it, this is your decision to make in the end. Do you feel comfortable with having these kids here with you for a whole night?"

There was a moment of silence as half a dozen pairs of eyes slowly turned to focus on the Xyz Duelist before them. Fuyu was breathing deeply; his single visible eye was dancing in its socket as it took in the expectant looks around him. That eye lingered for a long while on Masumi, who tried to mask her eagerness as best she could—it wouldn't do to put any more undue stress on the poor boy. She knew what Fuyu must be thinking as he stared back at her: the prospect of doing the impossible, and seeing the face of the only friend he'd ever had once again—but at the same time, the knowledge of the obstacle that lay between him and Hokuto—

Then, almost as if their thoughts were in sync with each other, Masumi saw Fuyu's eye widen just a little bit, and his breathing slowed down just long enough for her to notice. There was no doubt what—or rather _who_ —had appeared in his mind to provoke a reaction like that.

Fuyu swallowed, slowly working his lips into a thin smile. "I'll try my best," he rasped, nodding. "For Hokuto- _san_ ," he said in an even softer whisper that only Masumi could hear.

Hotene giggled with glee, bouncing higher than ever on the soles of her feet. Fuyu's parents beamed down at their son, undoubtedly impressed with the emotional growth he'd displayed tonight.

"Let me step out and make a few calls," she told Mr. Rokkaku. "The sooner I do that now, the less I have to worry about my father wondering where I am at this time of day."

The thick mustache bent upwards from the smile beneath it. "Leave that to me," she said. "I'll ask around for phone numbers—that way, I can fill everyone in, let them know they'll be in good hands for tonight."

Masumi quickly gave him her father's number, feeling her heart soar as the next piece of her plan fell into place. At the same time, though, a sense of uneasiness began to rise inside her like a thick, choking smoke. For up until now, everything had been easy. From here, things were going to get more difficult—and the impossible thought of bringing back Hokuto was the least of them.

* * *

Once the question of where to hold Masumi's sleepover had been solved, questions now turned to accommodation. Masumi knew Fuyu's bedroom was out of the question, unless he said otherwise—besides, issues of privacy aside, it was likely he wouldn't have had the time to tidy the place up. Considering the state he'd been in when Masumi had first met him, she wasn't keen on finding out.

Nor did she want to further intrude upon the Rokkakus' hospitality—even if they did offer to fold out the living room couch on the off chance they wanted to see a movie or two. Masumi politely declined, and suggested they remain in the planetarium, as it was more than large enough to hold the five of them. Not that it would have mattered much—with everything they'd done today, it was likely they'd be asleep before long.

 _I don't have much time._

In the end, Mr. Rokkaku acquiesced, and within fifteen minutes, a mismatched pile of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows had erupted on the floor of the Dueling arena. Masumi grimaced as she tested a particularly thick sleeping bag; even then, she could feel the rigid floor. Already she suspected that tonight might be rougher on her than the last two nights might be—at least on those occasions, she had a comfortable bed to lie down in. The pillow she held close to her was soft enough that she might be wrong, though.

She suppressed a yawn as she lowered the pillow, having used it to again deflect Hotene's own pillow being tossed at her by its perpetually giggling owner. The tiny Duelist was almost invisible beneath the huge blanket wrapped around her; only a toothy grin and a single arm that clutched another cushion was all that could be seen of her.

Masumi was sorely tempted to indulge in Hotene's taunting—and who knew, maybe a pillow fight would have helped her go to sleep faster—but now that everyone was settled in, it was time to get to business.

She produced a ream of paper and a pen—one of the last things she'd requested from the Rokkakus before they'd bid everyone goodnight—and thumped it on her floor to get everyone's attention. Shen, sitting cross-legged on a blanket that looked too small to accommodate him, was the first to notice, and he nudged Yaiba, who'd carefully set aside his bamboo _shinai_ before tucking himself in. Fuyu's eyes had not left Masumi even as he'd settled into the largest and squashiest sleeping bag, and he remained as quiet as ever.

Finally, once Hotene had noticed the calm that had set in—and not tried to shatter it with another well-aimed pillow—Masumi judged that it was safe to proceed.

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Before I begin, I'd just like to say that I had a really, _really_ good time with you all today," she said, flashing a genuine smile at them all. "This has probably been one of the most fun days I've had in a long time. Definitely within this last week." Her eyes lingered on Hotene, and she spared a moment to beam at the diminutive Duelist—for in a way, all of this had been her doing. From then on out, Masumi had more or less gone with the flow, altering her plans accordingly.

One moment later, and it was back to business. "But as some of you are probably aware by now, I'm not here simply because I want to have fun—even though I'm glad I did." She paused here with a glance at Yaiba, who gave a nod for her to continue—though not before they shared a mutual look at Fuyu; the Xyz Duelist was waiting on bated breath for Masumi's next words. "I'm here because I need your help. _All_ of your help," she added, speaking loudly and clearly.

Another deep breath. "I should probably start by saying that yesterday, I started seeing a counselor at LDS. I've been having nightmares for the past few days, and the night before last, this one nightmare was so bad that I scared my father right out of bed. The next morning, he told me I should seek out some kind of therapy to deal with these dreams. So I did."

"What is in these dreams of yours?" spoke Shen.

Masumi bit her lip. "It's … complicated," she said. "And I'm not sure how much of it I can explain to you right now—because the dreams themselves are only half of my problem."

"Please, try. It will help to talk about this with people you know," Shen said sagely.

The Fusion user sighed. "Thank you, Shen, but it isn't that simple. The things I've seen … the things I've found out since … " Masumi closed her eyes, and shivered. "Maybe I _was_ overthinking all this," she said. "I went into today with a plan, and I got a lot more than what I was expecting. I really did have fun with you all today … but I still can't help but wonder if you'll really believe what I'm about to tell you is true … that I'm not just going crazy … "

Masumi broke off here, having just noticed that she was clutching her blanket tighter and tighter to her breast with every word. Yaiba, seeing the change in behavior, quickly wriggled out of his bedroll and pulled up beside her.

"Hey." His voice was gentle, much like that distant day in the alley. "The least we can do is hear you out, Masumi. That's what friends do—they listen to one another."

His eyes gained a fraction of their steely gaze for a moment. "That said, though, there's no point in _listening_ if no one's bothering to even talk, is there?" he added. "C'mon, Masumi. Tell us what's on your mind—we promise we won't laugh at you for it, if that's what's been bothering you. Right, everyone?"

His eyes flickered to what little of Hotene was still visible. "Uh-huh!" crowed the blanket that covered the rambunctious girl. The hand that protruded from its folds made a thumbs-up, and Hotene's smile was all that could be seen of her face.

Shen nodded. Fuyu echoed him. The silent encouragement lifted Masumi's spirits to no end; here she was, among children who, save for one, were all complete strangers to her. So was she a stranger to them all—yet they were willing to believe the strange things she was about to tell them, even though they hadn't yet heard a word. It was an unexpectedly uplifting bit of knowledge, and how Masumi hoped that it could have lasted forever! She wanted nothing more than to bask in this feeling, knowing that it could have given her the dreamless sleep she craved.

But all too soon, the human temptation of telling all had returned, and Masumi's next breath was her deepest yet.

"Inside this dream … there's a Duelist," she began. "I don't know who it is. I don't even know if it's a man or a woman. There are only four things I _do_ know. Firstly, it goes by the name _Ito_ —'thread'. Secondly … every time I've gone up against this Duelist, I've lost. The third thing is that it … it uses Fusion Monsters."

She hesitated here, deciding to gauge the reaction of the children around her before continuing on. For the most part, the reactions were what she had been suspecting; Yaiba's facial expression hovered somewhere between shock and skepticism. Fuyu, having heard parts of this story already, said nothing, but clearly looked puzzled as the parts he hadn't yet heard slowly sank in. Shen looked as shrewd as ever, not having moved a muscle since Masumi had begun telling her story. Hotene's eyes were wider than Masumi had ever seen them; the pillow had dropped from her hand, completely forgotten.

It stunned her how silent they all were, and how their eyes weren't wavering an inch from her own. They truly were listening to her, just as Yaiba had assured. It was this knowledge that persuaded her to go on—or at least, she would have done so had Fuyu's soft voice not made itself heard in the silence.

"And … the fourth?"

Masumi swallowed. "This is where things _really_ start to get crazy," she said, with a very hollow laugh. "The monsters Ito uses are called _Shaddolls_. I'll be talking more about them later. When I first saw them in action, I was very confused. Since I was Dueling Ito in my dream, and I figured it was a figment of my imagination … I thought that I'd have to face my own Gem-Knights. Then, when I saw how many of Ito's monsters were used against me, I started wondering if maybe I'd somehow designed a whole entire Deck in my mind." She paused again, summoning every last ounce of courage left to her. "But that all changed yesterday morning.

"After I had my first meeting with Wendy—the counselor I mentioned earlier," she continued, "I checked the _Duel Monsters_ database for any record of these _Shaddolls_. There was nothing in there—at least, nothing I saw at first. See … I ended up digging too deep, and Chairwoman Akaba found out what I'd been doing. She told me I'd come very, very close to snooping around in some classified files."

" _What?!_ "

Masumi had been expecting this outburst as well, though Yaiba's exclamation still made her flinch. "That could have gotten you expelled from LDS!" the Synchro user yelled, his amber eyes nearly as wide as Hotene's blue.

"I don't doubt that it very nearly did," Masumi told him. "I had to make up a _big_ excuse for what I was doing in the database. So I told the Chairwoman I was looking for a way to help Professor Marco, and Hokuto as well—and that I thought the best way to do that would be to look up everything I could about Decks that used Fusion."

Silence greeted her. Fuyu's blue eye was fixed on Masumi. "What did she say then?" he rasped.

"She helped me finish up my search—told me that the Leo Corporation's been working on several other databases to study the monsters these invaders used," explained Masumi.

"And these _Shaddolls_ you mentioned were in the database?" inquired Shen.

"They were," said Masumi. "I emphasize _were_ —because when the Chairwoman searched for them, they weren't anywhere to be found. The only sign the _Shaddolls_ had ever existed was a blank page. Nothing else. Everything about them had been erased from the database. No one knows who uses them—no one knows how they're used. As far as I know, I'm the only person who knows what they even do … and I still don't know nearly enough about them. Which is why I need your help."

She swallowed. "Because the fourth thing I know about these dreams … is that I don't think they're dreams at all."

More silence. Masumi saw Yaiba chewing his tongue, silently waiting for her to continue.

"Last night—the last time I had this dream—I lost by only a hundred Life Points," she said. "I'd spent the entire afternoon trying to come up with a strategy to defeat Ito, and it almost worked. One of the last things I saw before I woke up, were these … cards around me. Every one of them had a face I'd seen before: Yaiba and Hokuto, Professor Marco … my parents … every card but three."

The planetarium was quieter than ever. No one was even daring to breathe at this latest bit of news. Masumi's eyes traveled round the room, noting the shock that appeared on everyone's faces as they came to realize which faces these three cards might have borne.

She nodded, answering their unspoken questions. "When I was talking about the dream with Wendy this morning, I found out that the faces I saw belonged to students of LDS. To me, it was even more proof that these dreams I was having might be something _more_."

"Like what?" Shen's frown looked quite out of place on the normally unflappable boy. "Visions? Hallucinations?"

"I don't know," sighed Masumi. "I'm not sure what to make of them—it goes against everything I know about how dreams are supposed to work! All I know is that I can't face Ito alone. My _Gem-Knights_ just aren't enough to beat that thing."

Yaiba bit his lip. "I think I know where this is going."

"You want us to Duel, too, Masu- _chan_?"

Masumi jumped—Hotene had gone so long without speaking that she'd wondered if the little girl had finally fallen asleep. She was close, though—two hours at Trampo-Land and hours more of trekking across half of Maiami City after that looked as though they'd finally caught up to Hotene. Her blue eyes were half-lidded, and her mouth was wide open in a yawn that would have dislocated any other jaw.

"That's right, Hotene—only it won't really be you." She bit her lip—this was going to be tough to explain to a nine-year-old girl. Considering that Hotene looked as though she could fall asleep any moment as well, there was no time to mince words. "Since I'm the one having these dreams, I'll be Dueling Ito—but I won't be alone either.

"You see," she continued, with a short look to Hotene, Shen, and Fuyu in turn, "the reason I Dueled all of you today—the _real_ reason—was so I could learn more about you. Your Decks, the monsters in them, the strategies you used to make them work—I wanted to know everything I could about them, so I could use that knowledge to defeat Ito, along with my own Deck."

"A Battle Royale," Yaiba now understood. "That's what you're suggesting. Five of us, one of Ito."

Masumi's grin widened. "Exactly."

"That's all?" Hotene was eyeing her curiously. "Why dincha say so in the first place, Masu- _chan_? Ya coulda just asked to peek in my Deck, an' I woulda let you!"

"Because it wasn't that simple, Hotene." Masumi scooted closer to the little girl. "I'm glad the contents of your Deck are something you'd trust me with, but I needed to figure out how our Decks could counter each other, but more importantly, how they work alongside one another. Peeking at your cards would have solved only half that problem. Besides, I should probably tell you now that _you_ gave me this idea in the first place, Hotene."

The tiny Duelist's heavy eyelids briefly lost some of their weight as she digested the words. "Really?"

Masumi beamed at her. "Of course! What better way to find out how strong a Duelist is than by Dueling them?"

Hotene's toothy grin was blinding in its intensity.

"Then you did not intend to win after all," Shen said. His voice was quite emotionless, though Masumi could not help but wonder if he was accusing her just like Yaiba had earlier. "You _let_ your opponents win."

Fuyu looked abashed at the thought that his recent victory might not have been as hard-fought as he would have wanted. Masumi was perturbed, but only for a moment.

"Wrong, Shen," she told the Synchro user. "I said the same thing to Yaiba not half an hour ago. This was never about winning or losing for me. 'The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.'"

Shen's eyebrows rose—in itself a remarkable sight; evidently he hadn't been expecting to hear something like that. But a moment later, Shen was just as eye-of-the-storm calm as before.

"You are more cunning than you let on to your peers, Koutsu Masumi," he said evenly. "If I did not know better, I would be terrified of how skillfully you have manipulated us. There are more dangerous games to play in this world than Duel Monsters—and from what I have seen, you may yet prove adept at playing those, too."

Not sure how to respond to the backhanded compliment, Masumi shrugged. "I never manipulated any of you," she said truthfully. "All of you came to help me of your own free will. And I think that's what will make the difference tonight." She paused. "If no one has anything else to say, I'd like to start drawing up a plan; you need to know what I— _we_ —are going up against."

No one said anything; everyone, even Yaiba, was waiting with bated breath. That was enough of an answer for Masumi, who now took a sheet of paper from the sheaf beside her, and began scrawling out more diagrams like the ones she'd used in her strategizing session the other day.

"Here's what I know so far," she explained as she wrote. "Most of the Shaddolls in Ito's Main Deck are Flip Monsters—they activate when they're flipped face-up, as you well know. But they also have a destruction effect that activates when a card effect sends them to the Graveyard. These effects have ranged from everything from basic removal to searching out more _Shaddolls_ to sending even more _Shaddolls_ to the Graveyard."

"You told us Ito uses Fusion Monsters," Fuyu whispered. "So these effects would activate if the _Shaddolls_ were used as Fusion Materials?"

"Precisely," said Masumi. "So we need to think about ways of preventing Ito from activating those effects. And Fuyu's question is a perfect lead-in to my next point: Ito's Fusion Summoning.

"I'm not going to sugar-coat anything here," she continued, briefly sectioning off a blank space on the paper, before continuing to write. "Ito's mastery of Fusion is almost equal to my own—maybe even superior. That's not something I say lightly, either," she added upon seeing the surprised looks thrown her way, Hotene's and Yaiba's most prominent among them. "Under the right conditions, Ito is capable of fusing from the hand _and_ Deck—and either side of the field as well."

Hotene's mouth fell open; Masumi had correctly assumed the only other Fusion Duelist in the room had to have learned about Opposition Fusion as well, and thus was beginning to understand just how dangerous an opponent Ito was. "That's more or less the strategy behind the _Shaddolls_ —Ito uses them to disrupt the enemy's field, while at the same time churning out one Fusion Monster after another to overwhelm them.

"The question now," Masumi said, looking around the room, "is how to stop Ito from doing that. We have the numbers—and I'd like to think we have the skill, too. So we need to find out how to wield them as a team … "

Over the next hour or so, that was precisely what they set out to do. Decks were pulled out, cards were shared, and everything they learned was noted on a growing pile of paper. Every so often, Masumi would pull out a sheet from the small mountain, her eyes zooming over diagrams and statistics, double- and triple-checking the most minute of details. She knew that defeating Ito would take more than skill. She could not leave anything to chance.

Even Hotene, rambunctious as she could be, was unusually silent as she also pored over the notes they'd all taken. The little girl's eyelids were drooping more than ever, though, and Masumi sensed that they would need to halt their research very soon. No amount of strategy could be accomplished without a healthy mind—and staying up all night, even to plan ahead, would not help Masumi defeat Ito.

A massive yawn from Hotene proved to be the clincher; like the trigger of a gun, it set off a chain reaction that soon had everyone yawning in fatigue—even Shen, in spite of his superhuman body. As if to underscore how tired they all were, Fuyu's yawn sent him toppling into his squashy bedroll. He was snoring softly only a few seconds later.

Very reluctantly, Masumi pushed aside the notes. "I think Fuyu has the right idea," she remarked, feeling a familiar leaden sensation creep up her body once more. She didn't care that the floor was too hard, or that her bed was nowhere in sight; all her body wanted to do was curl up in that blanket and never come back out.

"Let's get some rest, everyone," Masumi said drowsily. "I'll tell you how things went in the morning. Good night."

But it was already too late for everyone to hear her. Yaiba and Shen were both out like lights, and the thick blanket that encased Hotene was thankfully muffling her deafening snoring. Masumi was the only one awake, but she was too tired to care; even as she lay there listening to the little girl sawing logs, the noise was getting softer.

Her final thought before the day's fatigue finally claimed her was the familiar face of a tall boy, his spiky purple hair wreathed in a crown of stars above pointed eyes. But when the apparition spoke, his voice wasn't nearly as arrogant as Masumi had come to expect from him, but was much more friendly and reassuring, warmer than any blanket or hot chocolate Masumi could ever need.

 _Don't worry_ , it said. _I'm not going to leave you. You'll see me again._

 _Sooner or later … we'll all be together …_

* * *

 _Leo Duel School_

Night had fallen over Maiami City.

Akaba Himika, however, was far from feeling the temptation to sleep. She had not stopped pacing about her office for hours on end, fuming all the while. The LDS chairwoman was not used to waiting, never mind for far longer than her expectations dictated.

Regular inquiries to database maintenance had all produced variations on the same response: work was progressing, and it would be finished roughly after she stopped asking. Only her intent to get to the bottom of this kept Himika from firing the supervisor on the spot after the third such answer; even so, she had subtly hinted that when their work was complete, he would do well to not deliver the report to her personally. She'd also sent Nakajima to supervise their work, hoping that the eyes of someone so close to her would expedite their results.

That had been almost an hour ago, and the lack of communication even now was starting to get on her nerves. _Perhaps I should have informed them that this took precedence over everything else_ , she'd thought. There was a time when her word had carried more weight than any timetable—it was law, and they obeyed.

 _I must be getting soft in my age_ , she mused with a sniff. _The younger me would have fired them all by now._

A few minutes later, right as Himika was about to dispense with chewing out her subordinates via secure line and venture down to their office—so as to chew them out in person before any of them could clock out to avoid her wrath—she was instantly alerted to a buzz from her secretary.

"Assistant Director Yoshida to see you, Akaba- _san_."

 _This had better be good_ , thought Himika bitterly as she rose from her desk, quickly assuming a veneer of calm indifference under the resolute anger as the door opened.

Assistant Director Yoshida had all the air of a recently deflated tire as he approached her. A tablet computer was clutched so tightly in his hand that it was a wonder it didn't break under his thick, trembling fingers. Nakajima followed behind him, every inch the opposite of the plump, balding, and sweating manager.

"Well?" Himika raised an eyebrow, putting as much persuasion in the single word as possible.

Yoshida took a deep breath, perhaps to summon his courage in the face of the cold stare opposite him. "Before I give my report, I would like to inform you how difficult it was to accomplish this task," he said. "The database had to be taken offline and almost remade from scratch. Every change to the affected data had been expertly swept under the rug—and even the changes had been covered up as well. In essence, while identifying the changes was easy, reverting them so as to identify the user responsible took much longer."

"But you have identified the culprit behind the alterations?" inquired Himika, a bite of impatience to her words.

"We have isolated and verified the IP address behind the changes, yes," Yoshida nodded, sliding his tablet onto her desk. "As to identifying the user, I … believed that it was only proper you would want to complete that particular task yourself. Nakajima informed us of your personal stake in this, and he agreed with me."

Himika's eyes flicked once to her faithful associate, who immediately nodded once. That was all the confirmation she needed. "You may go," she told Yoshida—there was no point in asking the beleaguered director to remain here any longer. While she would have preferred that his division had seen their mission through to the end, she felt oddly touched by the display of loyalty. The feeling passed in less than a moment, though—but it was still long enough for her to see Yoshida perform a very brief bow in her direction before scurrying out of the office.

Now alone with Nakajima, Himika reached out for the tablet Yoshida had left behind. Her fingers played a brief _allegretto_ on the screen. "Begin trace of specified IP address," she dictated, "and overlay with local topography."

The tablet made an affirmative beep as Himika slid it aside; the search would likely take several minutes to complete. In the meantime, she decided it was time to voice one last question that had been weighing on her mind.

"Nakajima." He immediately stiffened at the mention of his name. "Is it theoretically possible for any amount of Summoning energy to _escape_ our sensors somehow? I was reading the reports you sent me earlier today, and while I'd be relieved to see the lack of any such activity on any other day, right now I can't help but wonder."

"Ma'am, if there's a Summoning method out there that could fool our sensors," said Nakajima with a slight smirk, "I would think they'd deserve at least a _chance_ to escape. The detection grid inside the Leo Corporation is the strongest in the region—maybe even the whole world. As I recall, your own son was the brainchild behind its inner workings—and you know better than I do that he's _not_ the kind of person who lets things get out of control. Reiji- _sama_ covers his bases, plans for things no one else would have even foreseen. Sometimes I wonder if even his _backup_ plans have plans of their own."

"You flatter—but even the tightest net has its gaps," Himika told him. "Sometimes, something sees that gap, and with it sees an opportunity to _slip right through_ without being caught. I'm starting to wonder if this entire debacle with the database might have been that opportunity—that while we were looking, _something got through_."

The tablet on her desk suddenly beeped; the trace program had been completed. That was quicker than she'd been anticipating, though not completely _unexpected_ ; a quick look at the overlaid map had confirmed her suspicions.

"As I thought," she said grimly. "This IP address is registered to a private terminal inside the building. That can only mean our culprit is an LDS employee." What was more, from what she could tell, the user in question most certainly did _not_ have the required credentials to go around altering the _Duel Monsters_ database.

"Should we notify the authorities?" Nakajima asked, pulling out his phone.

Himika considered this. "Not yet. Since the database is the legal property of the Leo Corporation, we'll have to treat it as an internal matter for the time being. Until we have more evidence, we have no reason to believe our hacker had anything else in mind besides woefully misguided mischief." _Which means there remains nothing to allay my_ other _suspicions as of yet_ , she thought bitterly.

"At any rate," she added, "I have every intention of confronting this _miscreant_ myself." She pronounced the word with every intention of inflicting horrible, horrible deeds upon the person who had dared to commit this act under her nose. The authorities would have to settle for taking whatever was left of the wrongdoer into custody.

The gears in her corporate mind began to turn. "Nakajima, I want you to make a slight change to the duty roster. Ensure that our perpetrator has tomorrow's morning shift. The moment our would-be hacker has clocked in, I'll be _paying them a visit_."

Her voice grew cold. "When I do … I will expose them, and I will _break_ them for ever daring to cross me."

* * *

The first thing about the dream that Masumi noticed was that it wasn't quite so _cold_. Last night's bone-chilling air still made her shiver from the experience—but this time, the air was much more mild in comparison. It was far from balmy seaside weather, yes—but infinitely more preferable.

A quick look around revealed the reason for this sudden shift in temperature—or rather, _reasons_. Five of them, to be precise, and each one was staring at the world around them with a mixture of confusion, wonderment, and fear.

"What the—" Yaiba closed his eyes, and opened them again, as if unsure of what lay before his eyes.

"Whoa … " Hotene's huge jaw had gone completely slack as she took in the eerie scenery of the dream. Vast threads of purple light still sliced across the sky, shadows of birds still wheeled and called in the air—and the edifice of LDS still looked as abandoned as ever. But the mournful echoes of their calls meant so very little to Masumi as she took in the warm sight of her friends, both new and old, standing with her where once she had stood alone.

"Where are we?" Fuyu's question was almost incomprehensible with how much he was shivering—though whether out of cold or dread, Masumi could not tell.

"I was hoping this would happen," she said quietly, "that you would all be with me when I needed you the most. I really did have fun with all of you today, and maybe that's why you're all here with me now. Maybe that's why you're in my dream."

Yaiba stared at her, nonplussed. "Your … dream?"

"Cool!" Hotene bent her knees as if to jump high into the air, and to Masumi's surprise, the road beneath her feet bent with her. She suddenly realized what was about to happen, and grabbed Hotene by the wrist the moment before the little girl launched herself into the air as if on one of _Gravity Sixteen_ 's trampolines.

"Wait! Hotene, I know you might be tempted right now, but please. _Calm down_."

The tiny Fusion user saw the desperate look in Masumi's eyes, and desisted, though not without a long look the asphalt under her feet.

"I know I probably sound like a broken disc at this point," Masumi now said to everyone, "but right now, I need all of your help more than ever. Any minute now, Ito's going to know I'm here—if not already. I want to show that I'm not afraid anymore."

"Who or what exactly _is_ this Ito?" Shen asked. He alone had not batted an eye upon seeing the scenery of Masumi's dream. "You speak of this Duelist as if it is something _more_."

Masumi swallowed. "I really don't know. Wendy says I might have made Ito up in the first place—that I used the events of the Maiami Championship to form an enemy in my head. But … I don't know," she repeated. "The more I Duel Ito, the more something just feels … _off_ about this whole thing. Please. I need your help to defeat him."

Yaiba laid a hand on her shoulder. The warm sensation felt like eternal bliss to Masumi. "We're here for you."

"Uh-huh!" Hotene piped up.

"To the end," added Shen.

Fuyu took a deep breath, perhaps to calm his nerves, before he spoke. "For Hokuto."

Masumi felt a constricting sensation around her insides—but this, too, was far from cold. She did not know whether or not to call it guilt—the promise she had made to the Xyz Duelist was still fresh in her mind—but at the same time, something about it made her feel that that lofty task seemed not only possible now, but _easy_.

She nodded. "That's right," she agreed. "We're doing this for Hokuto."

The Fusion Duelist took a step forward. There was no turning back now. "Let's go."

* * *

The warm feelings of her friends, both new and old, here and gone, were enough to sustain her as the five children wandered through the scarred remnants of Maiami City. No one spoke a word, and that was all right with Masumi. She knew full well that they needed to be as focused as possible for the battle to come.

That focus hit a bump later on, however, when they saw the flashes of purple light.

Even Masumi could not resist a shiver at how the sight had differed from the last time. The first time—the night before last—it had been random passersby, being sealed into cards by invisible Duelists. The night after that, they had shifted into figures of the Lancers—Sakaki Yuuya, Sawatari Shingo, Kurosaki Shun, and all the rest of them—running away in terror from an enemy too powerful for them to fight.

Tonight, however, all of the figures were the same—and Masumi felt the dread seep into her stomach as she gazed at the doppelgangers that bore her likeness, while sinister purple light-flowers bloomed all around them. Fear was etched into all of their faces as they fled from a force that none of them could see. Some of them didn't make it; Masumi could only imagine the scream she might make if she was to be sealed into a card … as Hokuto had been.

She felt the blood flow from her palms as the nails dug in. "He's _taunting_ me," she growled angrily, quickly turning away from the silent scene and stalking away. "Ito already knows I'm here. C'mon."

She broke into a fast trot—partly out of a wish to put as much distance behind the many Masumis being sealed into cards, partly out of a desire to get this over with before Ito really started messing with her head. Cards scattered under the kids' feet as they followed her through the streets, and with each card blown aside, the faintest scream issued from them, like the last traces of morning fog evaporating in the dawn.

"Left up here," Masumi said tersely, spotting the alley up ahead where she knew Ito lurked, and darting inside it moments later. The familiar sight of the vandalized walls flowed past her, flanking the void of darkness that already lay within … waiting for her.

At last she slowed, allowing everyone else behind her to catch their breath. "Stay close to me," she said, "and don't wander off. Ito has to be close by. Be ready for anything."

The chaotic graffiti almost seemed to warp around them as they walked further into the alley, distorting it, stretching it wider and wider until it almost looked as wide as an avenue. The decaying buildings on either side of them felt ten times larger, looming over them like silent watchmen, and Masumi briefly wondered if perhaps the alley hadn't gotten _bigger_ —but rather, she and the others had become _smaller_.

She saw the familiar juncture up ahead—so close, yet so very far away. The graffiti around them was getting thicker, more unreadable.

"What's that up ahead?"

Masumi knew what Hotene was asking about even before she saw it with her own eyes. They'd arrived at the intersection where her last two Duels had taken place; by now, it was wide enough as a highway.

She felt the breath catch in her throat as she saw it. Like the alley it had been painted on, the letters that composed the single Word that had troubled her nightmares had been greatly engorged. Masumi felt smaller than ever as she beheld the letters on the wall, taller than her and twice as wide:

 **M4ETH**

The letters was not so much printed on the wall as it was splattered; rivulets of dark ink ran down the crumbling brick like so much black blood. In the purple light given off by the gigantic threads miles above them, Masumi wondered if maybe it _was_ blood.

She felt a brief stab of freezing cold as she backed away from the vandalized wall, as though an icicle had suddenly stabbed her in the heart—but it was gone as quickly as it had come, thanks to the warmth that the presence of her friends exuded. There was still no denying the uneasiness of the sight, however—how this, too, had changed a third time. The symbols sprayed onto the surface might not have made sense to anyone else in the world, but the Fusion Duelist understood them well enough—and it did nothing to bolster her spirits.

Yaiba had noticed. "What's wrong?"

Masumi indicated the spray-painted Word. "That's another thing that always changes about this dream. Every time I've had it, that word has never stayed the same."

"But what does"—Yaiba squinted—"M-four-eth even mean? Is it supposed to stand for something?"

" _Mæth_ ," corrected Masumi. "Wendy told me it was a word from a very old language. She said it meant 'death.'"

Yaiba eyed the sight with no small amount of apprehension as he digested Masumi's answer. "Well, that's not creepy at all," he muttered under his breath. "You have some _weird_ dreams, you know that?"

Masumi ignored him. _He doesn't know the half of it,_ she thought; a second look at the word had revealed that Yaiba hadn't misread the message at all—the Æ had in fact been split into a 4 and an E. Masumi could not be certain why, but the mere appearance of the number _four_ was setting off plenty of alarm bells in her head.

 _That's a bad sign_.

With great effort, she tore her eyes away from the sight, and bellowed into the night, "Stop mocking me, Ito! I know you're here! Show yourself, _right now_!"

The echoes words faded quickly in the still air that surrounded them—almost too quickly—but Masumi knew Ito had heard. All that was left to do was await the response of the entity she hated—that she now wanted nothing more than to end once and for all.

"You're early."

Masumi turned slowly, but everyone else jumped at the sudden, calm voice of the living black fire that had erupted behind them without a sound. Slowly, that fire began to reassert its familiar humanoid shape: a featureless, genderless shadow.

She felt a tug on her leg; Hotene was clutching her, her round face suddenly fearful. "It's okay," Masumi soothed, lightly stroking the little girl's hair. "Your friends are right here with you." She smiled. "It's going to be okay."

She felt Hotene nod slowly under her palm, and gradually, she pulled away.

"You just couldn't resist visiting me _again_ , could you?" Ito purred. "And I see that you've brought some friends as well." Even though the entity possessed no eyes—at least, none Masumi could see—the Fusion Duelist still had the unpleasant suspicion that she was being scrutinized very closely. "That's very kind of you—although you'll soon wish you'd never gotten them involved."

The hissing noises of five Duel Disks activating were the only response Ito received—swiftly followed by five defiant glares, none more so than Masumi's.

"Well, then," it sighed, its own Duel Disk emerging from the flames that lined its left arm. "Since you seem so eager to Duel me, I won't waste any more of your time. Battle Royale rules, five against one—"

" _Six_."

…

…

…

Nothing but the sound of that voice could have made Masumi tear her gaze away from Ito that quickly. She whirled around as the blade of _yet another_ Duel Disk snarled to life.

That lavender Duel Disk was the first thing Masumi's eyes saw, the edges of its blade blue as a cloudless sky. From there, her eyes swiftly traveled upward, racing along the slim, deep blue sleeve of a zipped-up jacket … elbow … shoulder … neck …

 _It can't be …_

Her breath caught as her gaze traveled past the high purple collar, past the pointed jaw and the thin face … before finally settling on a familiar crown of golden stars that rested under twin spikes of familiar purple hair.

It felt like an eternity before Masumi could find her voice. "How … _how can you possibly be here?_ " she could only say in a breathy whisper.

"This is _your_ dream, isn't it?" Shijima Hokuto asked, staring back at her. His eyes were as narrow as ever, but none of the cold defiance he'd once possessed in his gaze and his voice was left to either. A thin smile played about his face—cocky, but warm as any summer's day in this desolate dream world. "You must _really_ want me here."

But _was_ he here? Even as Masumi took in the full view of the Xyz Duelist standing among her friends, she could see that something was off. He looked slightly blurry at the edges—as if he'd stepped out of an out-of-focus photograph. The further down Masumi looked, the more blended those edges became. Only his face held any sign of faithful reproduction.

Fuyu, meanwhile, had gone completely rigid, and his one visible eye was so wide Masumi thought it might fall out of its socket. "Are you real?" His voice was even softer than Masumi's.

The Xyz user's mouth formed the widest, warmest smile Masumi had ever seen Hokuto wear. "I'm as real as I _can_ be," he answered, " … well, as real as _she_ wants me to be," he added, with a jerk of his head in the Fusion Duelist's direction.

Hokuto held out his hand to the Duelist who'd he'd battled alongside in enough victories to claim two consecutive tag-team championships—who just one week ago, had been robbed of the chance to ever see his friend again. Fuyu eyed the hand for a very long time—before he finally, gingerly extended his own, and gripped Hokuto's hand tight. He did not let go for a very long time, but Masumi was in no hurry; she could see the tears that had sprung in Fuyu's eye, and now ran down both his cheeks, streaking through his bangs.

"You brought him back … " Masumi barely heard him whisper, softer than ever. "Just like you said … "

But that wasn't _completely_ true—for Masumi had finally understood what Hokuto had meant when he'd claimed that Masumi "really wanted me here". This was her dream—meaning she'd _created_ this … _echo_ of him here. Therefore, he was only as real as the space around them … but perhaps that might be enough, she thought. Yes, that was it … she'd called to Duel alongside his old friends for one last time.

However, there was no point bringing up the details—not when Rokkaku Fuyu looked this _happy_ to see his friend once again.

" … Very well, then." Masumi jumped—in the sheer elation that had resulted from her unexpected reunion with her fallen friend, she'd completely forgotten about Ito. "Battle Royale rules, _six_ against one. No one may draw or attack on their first turn. And since you've taken the liberty of introducing a surprise guest, I think I'll take a few liberties of my own, and introduce a few _special_ rules of my own design."

Masumi grunted. "Let's hear them."

"Firstly, since there are _six_ of you," Ito explained, "it's only fair that I should start with _six times_ the Life Points. And to make things even _more_ interesting—if any of you should lose all your Life Points, your game states will be preserved—at which point, I can pay 4000 of _my_ Life Points … to have _you_ fight for _me_."

" _What?!_ " Masumi and Yaiba echoed each other. "How is that—?"

"Possible?" Even the lack of a face did nothing to detract from the sneer in Ito's reply. "We're in a dream, little boy," the entity said to Yaiba. " _Anything_ is possible here."

Masumi bit her lip until the blood flowed. Already this was _not_ turning out to be the Battle Royale she had been expecting—not least because of such a vast advantage in Life Points. The thought of Ito turning her own friends against her as well was torture—but at least he would only be doing so inside of her dream. If she felt she needed to, she could apologize to them first thing in the morning, and they wouldn't think the lesser of her afterward.

"We accept," she said defiantly.

Yaiba whirled at her. "Masumi, think about what you're agreeing to," he said. "I don't like this at all."

"I know what I'm doing," Masumi shot back. "I know we can win!"

"Then let's not stand on ceremony," Ito declared. "Field Spell: _Cursed Shadow's Snare_ —activate!"

A shockwave rippled out from the contraption fixed to the entity's wrist, carrying with it all light, sound, and warmth, plunging the alley into a silent abyss of frozen nothingness—but only for a single moment.

In that single moment, before the world of light, sound, and dreams returned to them ... a single word shattered the silence.

 _ **"DUEL!"**_

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry I've been dark for so long—writing those last three chapters in such a short time burned me out pretty badly. Add that to my birthday coming and going, the release of** ** _Legacy of the Void_** **—and my PC finally biting the dust after five years—and I've found it very hard to motivate myself to write anything at all.**

 **… I have never wanted to be anything** ** _but_** **an adult so badly.**

 **The Duel to come, meanwhile, has been and continues to be just as insanely difficult to plan out as you can probably guess by now. I've already had to split this chapter up into two parts; this was the first half of something like a 20,000-word mountain that I somehow managed to crank out in about two days' time. So there's likely as not a whole bunch of errors and such in this chapter. I'll look into that tomorrow.  
**

 **As for the Duel itself, I'm going to lay it out: I want this to be** ** _perfect_** **. I like to think I iron out the details in every Duel I've put to words so far, but since I know jack-all about playing the game—and because this is so far beyond any Duel I've ever attempted in the past—I may well need some help. So, if anyone out there is big into** ** _Yu-Gi-Oh!_** **, knows their way around the game, I'm willing to share what I've got so far, make sure any mistakes that might end up ruining this whole entire Duel are taken care of. If you're interested, send me a PM.**

 **The other half of this should be out by maybe next week, if everything checks out. You won't want to miss it. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! - K**


	9. IX

IX

Seven LP gauges flickered onto the screens of seven Duel Disks as the battle commenced—six of them displaying 4000; the seventh, 24000. Seven hands drew five cards each, and the air around all seven Duelists instantly turned electric with anticipation.

For Masumi, that anticipation was so palpable that she could feel the hairs on her neck standing on end. She knew full well the last words Ito had spoken to her in her last dream: _you will either win … or you will die_. One way or another, this was to be their final battle— _winner takes all_. Whoever lost this Duel would lose _for good_ —and she had no intention of losing tonight.

"Well, Masumi," Hokuto remarked, from the other side of Yaiba, "this is your party. Want to take the first turn?"

The Fusion user was already reaching for a card in her hand. "You didn't even have to ask," she laughed daringly. "We'll all take our turns before Ito: I'll go first, then Yaiba, you—and finally, Hotene, Shen and Fuyu. That way, it'll be that much harder for Ito to deal with our field, since he won't be able to attack anything we have on his first turn—but whatever he Summons, we can attack, and cripple his Life Points before he can lower ours!

"Now!" Masumi yelled. "I activate the Spell Card: _Gem-Knight Fusion_! I choose to fuse the _Gem-Knights Ganet_ and _Obsidia_ in my hand for a Fusion Summon!" Two burly figures, respectively clad in red and black suits of armor, soared into the vortex that had formed above her, lost to sight in an instant.

 **"Crystal of burning resolve! Sharp jet-black darkness!"** declared Masumi. **"In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!**

 **"Fusion Summon! The one who pursues justice!** ** _Gem-Knight Rubyz_** **!"**

The gleaming battleaxe of the giant, scarlet-armored Fusion Monster (Level 6: _ATK 2500_ /DEF 1400) swung through the air, and _Rubyz_ let out a threatening growl as his eight-foot-tall form stepped between Masumi and the flaming shadow, hefting the blade of his weapon directly at Ito.

"Next, _Gem-Knight Obsidia's_ effect!" Masumi cried out. "If it's sent from my hand to the Graveyard for any reason, I can target a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster in my Graveyard, and Special Summon that target! I choose _Ganet_!

"Then," she added, as _Ganet_ (Level 4: _ATK 1900_ /DEF 0) sailed out of a dark portal and alongside _Rubyz_ , "I activate the other effect of the _Gem-Knight Fusion_ in my Graveyard! By banishing 1 _Gem-Knight_ monster in my Graveyard, I can return it back to my hand! So I'll banish _Obsidia_!"

No sooner had it been placed back in her hand than: "Now, I'll activate _Gem-Knight Fusion_ again! This time, I'll fuse the _Gem-Knight Ganet_ _on my field_ with the _Gem-Knight Sanyx_ in my hand for a _second_ Fusion Summon!"

The hurricane of light that had vanished bare moments ago now reappeared just as quickly, sucking in _Ganet_ and a second, red- and white-banded knight while Masumi shouted to the heavens:

 **"Crystal of burning resolve! Gem of crimson fire! In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!**

 **"Fusion Summon! The one who pursues retribution!** ** _Gem-Knight Madeira_** **!"**

The bronze-armored monster that leapt from the vortex was bigger and broader than _Rubyz_ , if not quite as strong (Level 7: _ATK 2200_ /DEF 1950). In place of a massive axe, it wielded a equally huge blade of sizzling red-hot metal, clenched tightly in one of its molten fists as it landed next to _Rubyz_. The heat it exuded felt like a warm furnace—which in the freezing cold of this dream was a paradise to Masumi.

Two Fusion Monsters on her first turn was a good opening start—not the best she'd ever had, but good enough. _Rubyz'_ effect would provide Masumi the chance to punch a hole in Ito's sizable LP—to the point where further attacks might be able to keep Ito from paying any LP to make one of her friends switch sides. _Madeira's_ effect, on the other hand, would allow her to bypass any nasty traps or card effects Ito might have lying in wait for her. Then, if she drew a monster next turn, Masumi could Summon _that_ , then Tribute it with _Rubyz'_ effect to increase its ATK, delivering yet more damage.

Satisfied with her field so far, she looked at the last card in her hand. _Perfect_. "I set one card," Masumi said, slotting _Gem Enhance_ into her Duel Disk, "and I end my turn. Yaiba, you're up!"

"It's about time!" Yaiba grinned. "First, I'll summon _XX-Saber Boggarknight_ in Attack Position!" A tough-looking humanoid in spiky silver armor and a vivid red cape charged to his side (Level 4: _ATK 1900_ /DEF 1000), slicing its sword through the air.

"Since _Boggarknight_ was Normal Summoned, I can activate its effect," said Yaiba, "and Special Summon a Level 4 or lower _X-Saber_ monster from my hand—and I'll choose to Summon the Tuner monster _XX-Saber Fulheimknight_!"

A swirl of red appeared beside _Fulheimknight_ , revealing a tough-looking blonde woman in orange armor, wearing a cloak much like _Boggarknight's_ , and carrying a segmented, many-edged weapon that looked equal parts sword and flail (Level 3: _ATK 1300_ /DEF 1000).

 _All right!_ Masumi thought. _He's going to Synchro Summon on his first turn!_

"I'm not done!" Yaiba went on. "Since I control two _X-Saber_ monsters, I can Special Summon _XX-Saber Faultroll_ from my hand!" _Fulheimknight_ and _Boggarknight_ leapt aside to make room for the huge man in red powered armor that had just entered the field (Level 6: _ATK 2400_ /DEF 1800). _Faultroll_ swung a glowing sword as long as Masumi was tall, and likely just as heavy; he, too, growled menacingly at Ito as he took up position.

"Now," said Yaiba, the grin on his face wider than ever, "I'll tune my Level 4 _Boggarknight_ with my Level 3 _Fulheimknight_!" The blonde warrior disappeared in a flash of light, transforming into a trio of orbs that leapt into the air, widening into emerald rings as Yaiba began to intone:

 **"Wielder of crossed blades of light! Trample over this mountain of corpses!"**

 **"Synchro Summon! Come forth! Level 7!** ** _X-Saber Souza!_** **"**

The earth shook beneath the footfalls of the new arrival: a giant of a man in a tattered red cape and gunmetal-gray armor, grinning like a demon as it slashed twin swords through the air (Level 7: _ATK 2500_ /DEF 1600).

"And I'm still getting started!" Yaiba crowed. "Once per turn, I can activate _Faultroll's_ effect, and Special Summon a Level 4 or lower X-Saber from my Graveyard! I choose to revive _XX-Saber Fulheimknight_!"

Masumi felt her face split in a grin despite herself. _He's going to do it_ , she thought excitedly, watching _Faultroll_ stab the earth with its massive blade, opening a portal through which the graceful figure of _Fulheimknight_ sailed.

"Now," continued Yaiba, "I'm going to tune my Level 6 _Faultroll_ with my Level 3 _Fulheimknight_!" For the second time in as many minutes, _Fulheimknight_ disintegrated into three rings of glowing green light, settling around Faultroll:

 **"Let your silver armor shine!"** Yaiba yelled. **"Crush the hope of all who oppose you!**

 **"** ** _Synchro Summon!_** **Come forth! Level** ** _9_** **!** ** _XX-Saber Gatmuz_** **!"**

The new Synchro Monster easily dwarfed _Souza_ ; easily fifteen feet tall, and clad head to toe in serrated armor that looked every bit as sharp as the massive sword slung over its crimson-cloaked back (Level 9: _ATK 3100_ /DEF 2600). _Gatmuz_ roared a taunting battle cry at the shadow that faced it; Masumi had to wonder why Ito wasn't knocking his flaming knees together in fear by now at the already daunting field he was facing.

"One card face down, and I end my turn," Yaiba finished, breathing heavily as he slotted in one last card. "What do you say, Hokuto? Think you can top that?"

The Xyz Duelist's smirk looked so authentic that for a moment, Masumi forgot Hokuto wasn't actually real, and it was to her chagrin that she remembered how he'd come to be in her dream in the first place. "I'm tempted to try," he said, "but I'd rather save my best for last.

"First," he declared, swiping several cards on his blade, "the Continuous Spell Cards: _Sacred Belt_ , and _Star Sign of the Sacred!_ _Sacred Belt's_ effect prevents the effects of any LIGHT monster on the field from being negated! Next, I Normal Summon _Sacred Gredi_ in Attack Position!" A slender, horned figure in silver-white armor took shape in front of him, carrying a diamond-headed mace in its right hand (Level 4: _ATK 1600_ /DEF 1400).

"When _Gredi_ is Normal Summoned, I can activate its effect," Hokuto continued, and Special Summon a Level 4 Sacred monster from my hand! I'll Special Summon _Sacred Kaust_!" Beside him, a silver-armored centaur grasping a golden bow galloped out of thin air, and took up position next to _Gredi_ (Level 4: _ATK 1800_ /DEF 1700).

 _So he's bringing_ that _monster out on his first turn_ , Masumi thought with a smirk. _That will_ definitely _slow Ito down_.

" _Sacred Kaust's_ effect!" shouted Hokuto. "Up to twice per turn, I can target a monster I control, and either raise or lower its Level by 1! I choose to target both _Gredi_ and _Kaust_ , and _raise_ their Levels by 1!"

Kaust fired two arrows from its bow in quick succession. Each one arced skyward, lost to sight straightaway—then, Masumi closed her eyes from the sudden brightness of the explosions that had flared in the sky. Pyrotechnics rained down upon the field, showering both of Hokuto's monsters in stardust; a few seconds later, Masumi's Duel Disk confirmed that both of their Levels were now 5. She grinned in anticipation.

"Now, using the Level 5 _Sacred Gredi_ and _Sacred Kaust_ ," Hokuto declared, "I construct the Overlay Network!" Both of his monsters glowed with yellow light, disintegrating into glowing afterimages of one another as they were sucked into the multicolored galaxy that had suddenly erupted at Hokuto's feet from out of nowhere.

 **"Light of the stars,"** he chanted, lightning and thunder erupting around him, **"descend and shake this very earth!**

 **"Xyz Summon! Rank 5!** ** _Sacred Pleiades_** **!"**

Another armored knight, half as tall again as either of the Materials that now orbited its body, sailed out of the portal and landed next to Hokuto with a crunch of pulverized asphalt (Rank 5: _ATK 2500_ /DEF 1500). The mirror-polished blade of the golden weapon it carried glinted with the light of the alien sky above as _Pleiades_ swung it about with absolute grace.

Of the Extra Deck monsters that had yet been Summoned in this Duel, Masumi knew that _Pleiades_ was almost certainly the most powerful of them. Where her monsters and Yaiba's relied more on strength and aggression, Hokuto's _Pleiades_ relied more on its Xyz Materials, which could be detached to return any card on the field to the hand. Even if Ito brought out any one of his Fusion Monsters, Hokuto could simply activate his monster's effect before they had a chance to attack—and _poof_ , no more _Midrash_ , no more _Egrysta_. Best of all, because Extra Deck monsters couldn't exist in the hand, they had to go back to the Extra Deck, making them harder to Summon on account of their previous Materials being far out of reach in the Graveyard.

"Because I Summoned a _Sacred_ Xyz Monster," Hokuto continued, "the effect of my _Star Sign of the Sacred_ now activates, and lets me draw a card!" That card was added to his hand with a flourish. Hokuto briefly inspected the card, shrugged, and slid it into his Duel Disk. "I'll Set that card to end my turn."

"Me next, me next, me next!" Hotene blurted out the moment Hokuto had finished his turn; the little girl had been bouncing on the soles of her feet for what must have been ages, clearly eager to show what she could do.

"First, I Summon _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_ in Defense Position!" The grizzled man that Masumi had seen Hotene play once before now appeared again before the tiny Duelist, sitting cross-legged—his carved staff in his lap—and looking quite serene in contrast to the armored figures around him (Level 2: ATK 200/ _DEF 1000_ ).

 _"_ _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder's_ effect activates when it's Normal Summoned," explained Hotene, "an' lets me do a second Normal Summon this turn! An' I'm gonna Summon … _Noble Spirit Beast Kannahawk!_ "

Masumi whirled in her direction. Kannahawk?! She'd never seen Hotene play a monster with that name at any point this afternoon—and certainly not during their Duel! The Fusion Duelist stared wild-eyed as a black-winged bird swooped down next to _Elder_ , its dark plumage sparking with electricity (Level 4: _ATK 1400_ /DEF 600).

"Once per turn, _Kannahawk's_ effect lets me banish a card from my Deck," Hotene said, swiping a card from her Deck and sliding it into a compartment in her Duel Disk. "An' then, during the second Standby Phase after I activated this effect, that card is added to my hand!"

Masumi frowned. That was a rather slow effect, she thought, not at all up to speed with the modern _Duel Monsters_ game these days. _She must be planning something_ , she thought.

"Now," Hotene smirked, "I can banish my _Elder_ an' my _Kannahawk_ to Summon _this!_ "

Masumi realized what was about to happen even before _Kannahawk_ stretched out its sparking right wing, offering it to the _Elder_ , who was reaching out with his left hand just enough so that his fingers just barely _grazed_ the feathers of _Kannahawk_. Then, a blinding white light obscured them both, forcing Masumi to shield her eyes again.

 **"When the bond between man and beast is at its strongest,"** Hotene recited, **"the howling wind will be united with the unshakable pillar of wisdom!"**

 **"Contact Fusion! Appear!** ** _Tamed Spirit Beast Kannahawk_** **!"**

Several things happened at that point: the light from the two monsters' union had faded, replaced by an older, more majestic-looking _Kannahawk_ , large enough for the _Elder_ that had been fused with it to sit comfortably upon its neck (Level 6: ATK _1400_ /DEF 1600). Lightning arced from _Kannahawk's_ wings, blinding Masumi while the thunder echoed painfully in her ears.

But even through the shock of seeing a whole new Fusion Monster from Hotene, a greater shock lay fifty feet in front of Masumi. For Ito had seen the spectacle as well—but the entity's reaction had been almost the same as Masumi's; it was apparent that Ito had not been expecting Hotene to Summon this monster at all.

" _Magnificent_ … " Masumi could hear it whisper amidst the continual crackle of _Kannahawk's_ lightning. Had she been hearing things, or did Ito sound almost _reverent_ just now? Was the act of _Contact Fusion_ unknown even to a Duelist whose mastery of Fusion exceeded even Masumi's own?

"I'm just getting started, hothead!" Hotene taunted Ito. "I'm activating _Kannahawk's_ effect! I can return this card to my Extra Deck, an' then Special Summon two of my banished monsters if I do! I Special Summon _Noble Spirit Beast Kannahawk_ in Attack Position an' _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_ in Defense Position! _Contact Out!_ "

Masumi's confusion increased further still as she watched _Elder_ dismount from _Kannahawk_ , separating into two monsters once again (Level 4: _ATK 1400_ /DEF 600; Level 2: ATK 200/ _DEF 1000_ ).

 _What on earth is that girl doing?_ she wondered. _She Fusion Summons a monster, only to de-fuse it moments later?_

"Now, I'll activate _Noble Spirit Beast Kannahawk's_ effect again!" said Hotene, swiping a card from her Deck. "I banish a card from my Deck, an' after two of my Standby Phases, it's added to my hand! Then, I'm gonna banish _Kannahawk_ and _Elder_ once again!"

 _Huh?_ Masumi was well and truly lost now as she watched both the old man and the bird reach for one another a second time, and just barely _touch_.

 **"** ** _Contact Fusion!_** **Appear!** ** _Tamed Spirit Beast Kannahawk_** **!"**

Once again, the regal hawk and its loyal rider soared into the air (Level 6: _ATK 1400_ /DEF 1600) emitting enough electricity to power a small town. The whole time, Masumi had kept her gaze trained on Ito; though she could not see the entity's face, this time she was certain Ito was very happy to see _Kannahawk's_ reappearance— _too_ happy.

 _Something isn't right here_.

"Now I'll activate _Kannahawk's_ _other_ effect," Hotene continued, swiping cards hither and thither. "Once per turn, I can target two of my banished cards, an' return them to the Graveyard—an' _then_ , I can add a _Spirit Beast_ card from my Deck to my hand!" A single card jutted from the little girl's Deck, swiped up in her stubby fingers.

"I'll Set that card, an' one more card, an' then I'll end my turn," she finished as she placed two cards in her Duel Disk, grinning fit to burst at having achieved two Contact Fusions in a row—if only for the exact same monster. "Okay, Shen- _chan_! Let's have some fun!"

"'Shen' will do just fine, thank you very much," the Synchro user said shortly as he slid a pair of cards onto his own Duel Disk. "Now, then. First, I will activate the Continuous Spell: _Dracomet Leyline_. Next, I will Summon the Tuner monster _Jiaotu, Dracomet of Darkness_ in Attack Position."

Masumi watched the familiar sinuous form of _Jiaotu_ swirl onto the field (Level 2: _ATK 0_ /DEF 2000) while Shen continued, "Since I control no other monsters, I may activate the effect of _Jiaotu_ : by sending two _Dracomet_ cards from my hand to the Graveyard, I may Special Summon two more _Dracomet_ monsters from my Deck—one with 0 ATK; the other with 0 DEF—although they will be banished during the End Phase of this turn. I will send _Bixi, Dracoment of Water_ , and _Pulao, Dracomet of Wind_ from my hand to the Graveyard—and then I will Special Summon _Taotie, Dracomet of Evil_ and the Tuner monster _Liwen, Dracomet of Light_.

"In addition," Shen went on, as two more shimmering dragons began to phase into being on either side of _Jiaotu_ , " _Dracomet Leyline_ gains effects according to the number of different original Attributes possessed by all _Dracomet_ monsters in my Graveyard. When there are two such attributes, for example, all _Dracomet_ monsters I control will gain 500 ATK."

At the exact moment _Jiaotu's_ ATK strength was bumped up to 500, its cohorts took physical form: on its left, the snarling, tattooed bulk of _Taotie_ (Level 5: _ATK 2200 »_ _ **2700**_ /DEF 0); to its right, the tiny, shining scales of _Liwen_ (Level 1: _ATK 0 »_ _ **500**_ /DEF 0). Masumi observed the field, deep in thought.

 _He got both his Tuners on the field that quickly?_ That was risky—especially if he wasn't able to use his _Liwen_ this turn. A banished Tuner was worse than useless in a Synchro Deck if its owner didn't have a way to bring it back.

"Now," said Shen, "I will tune my Level 5 _Taotie_ with my Level 2 _Jiaotu_!" Both dragons soared into the night sky, the smaller of the pair dividing into a pair of rings that encircled its companion as Shen chanted:

 **"Seething phantom of darkness. Reach out from the void, and devour the unworthy with your shadow!**

 **"Synchro Summon! Descend from the stars! Level 7!** ** _Yaizer, Dracomet of Wickedness!_** **"**

A flash of green lightning from the glowing remnants of _Taotie_ illuminated the monster that lay beyond: gray scales and rippling muscle, every inch of the dragon's body ablaze with crackling energy (Level 7: _ATK 2600 »_ _ **3100**_ /DEF 2100). Blood-red eyes narrowed at the burning shadows that made up Ito's form.

It certainly was imposing, _Yaizer_ , thought Masumi as she stared at the creature; however, there was a big problem. Activating _Yaizer's_ effect required Ito to have a monster on its field; since Ito hadn't even played a card yet, that effect couldn't be activated until Shen's next turn. By that point, the only other monster on Shen's field right now— _Liwen_ —would be banished because of _Jiaotu's_ effect—

She suddenly stopped as it hit her. _No—no, it would_ not.

"Next," Shen declared, "I will tune my Level 7 _Yaizer_ with my Level 1 _Liwen_!" For the second time, two dragons soared high into the air. _Liwen_ performed a rapid loop-the-loop as its shimmering body instantly streamlined into a single ring that encircled the far larger _Yaizer_ —

 **"Shining phantom of light,"** rumbled Shen. **"Unleash your true power, and give birth to a radiance that consumes all in its path!**

 **"** ** _Synchro Summon!_** **Descend from the stars! Level 8!** ** _Gongfu, Dracomet of Brightness!_** **"**

Masumi inwardly cheered as she watched Shen's ace monster glide gracefully onto the field (Level 8: _ATK 2300 »_ _ **2800**_ /DEF 2600). The glistening, golden-brown body of _Gongfu_ reflected the light of the massive energy-threads strung miles above them, dazzling the field and making Masumi see stars.

"Next, I will activate the Spell Card: _Dracomet Path_ ," said Shen, apparently electing not to activate _Gongfu's_ effect—presumably, Masumi guessed, because Ito controlled no cards to be shuffled back into the Deck. "I may target three _Dracomet_ monsters in my Graveyard to return them back to my Deck; once I do, I will draw two cards."

Several cards were jutted here and slotted there, and before long, Shen was adding a pair of new draws to his hand. "Finally—"

"Ho-o-o-old on a sec!" Hotene suddenly cut in. "I was hoping you'd play something I could chain my cards to! Trap Card, activate: _Ambushed Spirit Beasts!_ This lets me target a _Noble Spirit Beast_ an' a _Spirit Beast Tamer_ that's either banished _or_ in my Graveyard—an' I can Special Summon them both in Defense Position! I choose to Summon _Noble Spirit Beast Petolphin_ an' _Spirit Beast Tamer Wen_!"

Masumi blinked as two more monsters appeared from twin portals on either side of _Kannahawk_ , disgorging the same pink dolphin and the same small girl Hotene had Summoned inside _Gravity Sixteen_ earlier that day (Level 4: ATK 0/ _DEF 2000_ ; Level 3: ATK 1500/ _DEF 1000_ ). The repeated Summoning of _Kannahawk_ , and Hotene's strategy, was immediately explained.

 _She planned this all along_ , Masumi thought, impressed. _By first banishing those monsters with_ Noble Kannahawk's _effect, Hotene could then set up her Graveyard with_ Tamed Kannahawk's _effect. That must be how she got the Trap Card she just activated; after that, it was only a matter of waiting until one of us activated a card effect she could chain that trap to. Shen's Continuous Spell wasn't able to do that—but that Spell Card afterward_ was _._

The Fusion Duelist surveyed the field, finding it hard to believe this girl was only nine years old—she was a Dueling prodigy, and no mistake about it. Still, her strategy wasn't completely perfect. _Hotene won't be able to do anything with either monster this turn, if I remember their effects right—but it's still a nice defensive wall for now_.

 _Not bad … not bad at all._

That was when Hotene yelled: "Quick-Play Spell: _Bond with the Spirit Beast_! I can banish two Spirit Beast monsters I control, an' Special Summon a _Spirit Beast_ monster from my Extra Deck!"

Masumi's mouth fell open as fin and fingers touched one another, glowing with light. _She's going to do_ another _one—and on someone else's turn?!_

 **"When the bond between man and beast is at its strongest,"** shouted Hotene, **"the swirling tempest will be united with the purest mind of childhood!**

 **"** ** _Contact Fusion!_** **Appear!** ** _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin!_** **"**

Sure enough, just like in her previous Duel with Masumi, a large armored dolphin swam through the air, swirling around Hotene with a piercing squeak, while its rider brandished a staff at Ito (Level 6: ATK 200/ _DEF 2800_ ).

Hotene giggled, sounding rather like the dolphin she'd just now Summoned. "Okay—I'm done now," she told Shen sweetly, batting her eyelashes while her smile threatened to swallow her head whole, messy hair and all.

Masumi wasn't about to blame her—that was a very nice trick Hotene had managed to pull off. Even the simplest of Battle Royales were all too often undone without proper communication among Dueling teams. Masumi had seen what happened when a lack of that communication caused Duelists to play cards that missed the timing, or otherwise didn't start chains because their effects didn't let them. That Hotene was so young, and knew so much about the intricacies of the _Duel Monsters_ rules spoke volumes about her.

If Shen had been annoyed by how the tiny Duelist had upstaged him, he didn't show it in the slightest. "As I was saying," he said, "I will Set two cards, and end my turn." He placed the two cards he'd just drawn inside his Duel Disk, having had no other cards in his hand at the time. "By your leave, Rokkaku Fuyu."

The Xyz user jumped at the sound of his name. "Huh? Oh … right." He cleared his throat, taking a very deep breath and a _very_ long look at Hokuto, before he made his move.

"First," he rasped, "I activate the Spell Card: _Dual Summon_ —which lets me Normal Summon up to twice this turn. Then, I'll Normal Summon _Satellarknight Vega_ in Attack Position." A purple-robed, white-gold armored figure that Masumi remembered seeing earlier that levitated to his side (Level 4: _ATK 1200_ /DEF 1600).

"Once per turn, if _Vega_ is Summoned," explained Fuyu, "I can Special Summon another _tellarknight_ monster from my hand. I choose to Summon _Satellarknight Deneb!_ " The graceful form of a winged, pure white humanoid joined _Vega_ in front of Fuyu.

"Once per turn, if _Deneb_ is Summoned, I can add another _tellarknight_ monster from my Deck to my hand," Fuyu said, retrieving a card that his Deck had spat out at that precise moment. "I'll use my second Normal Summon on that monster— _Satellarknight Altair_!" To the other side of _Vega_ , a second winged humanoid figure in white-gold armor settled into place on Fuyu's field (Level 4: _ATK 1700_ /DEF 1300).

Masumi watched that field take shape with bated breath; Fuyu now had three Level 4 monsters—there was no way in hell he wasn't going to Xyz Summon this turn. She just hoped it wasn't going to be _Triver_ —that was the absolute _worst_ monster Fuyu could bring out in this situation. On top of automatically clearing the field when their opponent didn't control any monsters, its other effect was just too random; there was no guarantee that Fuyu wouldn't send the wrong card to the Graveyard—he'd be wasting an Overlay Unit for nothing. Nor could they run the risk that every single card in Ito's hand had a destruction effect that would almost certainly mess up their field presence.

However, she was not unduly worried. He wasn't that bad of a Duelist, no matter what Yaiba said about him being inconsistent; Masumi knew Fuyu wouldn't use _Triver_ unless he had no other choice but to clear the field. Besides, he had Hokuto to rely on—if only an echo of him—and if the exchange she'd seen earlier was any indication, that was enough for Fuyu to ensure he wouldn't lose his head and commit any amateur mistakes.

"Now—with my Level 4 _Altair_ , _Deneb_ , and _Vega_ ," the Xyz Duelist cried, "I construct the Overlay Network!" All three _Satellarknights_ burst into swirls of golden light, spiraling once around the field before they were sucked into the galaxy that had formed at his feet. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, all but drowning out Fuyu's chanting.

 **"Shining knight of the summer sky, whose blade was forged in the blazing wrath of the stars, cut down your foes with blinding light!"**

 **"Xyz Summon! Come forth before us! Rank 4!** ** _Stellarknight Deltatheros!_** **"**

Within the darkness of the swirling Network, three rings of light extended outward, intersecting into a glowing, rapidly expanding triangle that burst from the vortex with the speed of a fallen star. Like the petals of some flower, the triangle unfolded into a broad shield taller than any Duelist in the alley, carried by the same ten-foot-tall warrior that had ended Fuyu's Duel against Masumi earlier tonight (Rank 4: _ATK 2500_ /DEF 2100; ORU 3).

" _Stellarknight Deltatheros'_ effect," Fuyu explained. "While any Overlay Units remain attached to it, no Duelist can activate cards or effects in response to any monsters I Summon—normally or otherwise."

 _In other words, none of his Summons can be negated_ , thought Masumi— _and because they're all LIGHT monsters, Hokuto's_ Sacred Belt _means their effects can't be negated when they're Summoned, either._ She was beginning to understand why the two Xyz Duelists were so formidable in Battle Royales together.

"One card face-down, and I end my turn," finished Fuyu, exhaling as he slotted a card into his Duel Disk. "Not bad, huh, Hokuto- _san_?" His companion flashed a quick thumbs-up at him, beaming with pride.

Masumi couldn't fault Fuyu. Just about everyone save for herself and Hokuto had brought out their ace monsters upon their very first turn. It was quite possible that their field could not possibly be any stronger right now.

She did some mental arithmetic, adding up the total ATK values of all the monsters they controlled. The result was pleasantly surprising: just over nineteen thousand, as things stood right now—not _quite_ enough to take out Ito in one blow, whether he Summoned any monsters or not. But that was assuming none of Masumi's friends Summoned any more monsters during their next turns, either—and Masumi herself could add a few thousand points of damage if her monsters attacked in the right order. If all went well, they could deal enough damage to Ito that—while still not enough to defeat him—would prevent the entity from paying enough Life Points to resurrect any fallen enemies.

But what happened next all depended on Ito—and damned if Masumi didn't think that made her uneasy.

* * *

"Finally, it's my turn," sighed Ito, placing one card onto its Duel Disk and sliding another in its Graveyard. "Quick-Play Spell: _Special Hurricane_. By discarding 1 card, I can destroy every Special Summoned monster on the field."

Masumi swore at the top of her voice—not even caring that there was a nine-year-old girl three Duelists away. Not that it would have mattered, anyway—the storm that had suddenly blown in from out of nowhere was loud enough that any Duelist cursing at their sudden misfortune wouldn't have been heard to do so at all.

 _I don't believe this!_ Masumi thought angrily as she watched _Rubyz_ and _Madeira_ disintegrate into hard-light dust, followed swiftly by Yaiba's _Souza_ and _Gatmuz_ , Hokuto's _Pleiades_ , and who knew how many other monsters. _One card—Ito plays one measly card, and our entire field just got blown out of the water!_ And the way Ito had been talking … it was almost as though he was _anticipating_ they would Special Summon so many monsters.

 _Ugh … I_ knew _something wasn't right about all this_ , she fumed. _At least I still have_ Gem Enhance _—if I draw a monster next turn, I can Tribute it to bring back_ Rubyz _or_ Madeira _. Probably_ Madeira, she decided; its effect would better protect it since she could attack next turn.

Besides, all was not lost just yet: " _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin_ can't be destroyed by any card effects at all!" yelled Hotene over the shrieking wind, sticking out her tongue at the shadow entity. Masumi would normally have scolded her for the bad manners—but considering what Ito had just done, perhaps she could let it slide just this once.

"An' I'm also gonna chain _Tamed Spirit Beast Kannahawk's_ effect to your _Special Hurricane_!" the tiny Duelist crowed. "I'll return it to my Extra Deck, an' then Special Summon two of my banished monsters in its place! I choose to bring back _Noble Spirit Beast Kannahawk_ an' _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_! _Contact Out!_ "

Masumi had lost count how many times the old man (Level 2: ATK 200/ _DEF 1000_ ) and his avian friend (Level 4: _ATK 1400_ /DEF 600) had popped up by now, but she was glad they did. At least Hotene had some way of defending herself—as long as she had monsters to banish, Special Summon, and banish again, her _Tamed Spirit Beasts_ were as good as invincible.

"I believe I will add to that chain, if you do not mind," Shen called out as the storm of _Special Hurricane_ continued to rage on, revealing his face-down card; Masumi realized then that he too had lost his ace monster to Ito's Spell— _Gongfu_ was nowhere to be seen. "Continuous Trap: _Dracomet Creation_. Whenever a _Dracomet_ monster is destroyed by battle or card effect, I may Special Summon another _Dracomet_ from my Deck. I choose to Summon _Bi'an, Dracomet of Earth_."

No sooner had he said this than the tiger-dragon Masumi had remembered seeing in the plaza earlier that afternoon shimmered into being (Level 3: _ATK 1600 »_ _ **2100**_ /DEF 0). _So he still has a little bit of offense after losing Gongfu_ , she thought. That was good—the last thing any of them needed to be right now was completely defenseless.

 _And speaking of …_ but Fuyu was already speaking. "I'll chain _Stellarknight Deltatheros'_ final effect to _Dracomet Creation_!" he rasped; Masumi had to hold up an ear to hear what the Xyz user was saying, so faint was his voice against the storm. "When it's sent from the field to the Graveyard for any reason, I can Special Summon a _tellarknight_ monster from my Deck. I choose to Special Summon _Satellarknight Unuk_!" Moments later, a slender humanoid with a white-armored "tail" had leapt forth onto the field; Masumi raised an appreciative eyebrow at its ATK score (Level 4: _ATK 1800_ /DEF 1000).

"Once per turn, when _Unuk_ is Summoned," Fuyu went on, sliding a card out of his Deck and into a compartment on his Duel Disk, "I can send another _tellarknight_ monster from my Deck to the Graveyard." As he did so, the winds of _Special Hurricane_ finally died away, leaving an uncomfortable silence hanging over the dreamscape.

Ito made a grumbling noise that sounded most unlike an anthropomorphic collection of shadow and flame. "If you are _quite_ finished!" it snapped. "I do have a turn to complete, and I would rather complete it _tonight_ , thank you."

"No one's stopping you," Masumi retorted. "Make your move, and be quick about it."

" _I intend to_ ," Ito hissed. "Now, the monster I discarded to activate _Special Hurricane_ just so happened to be _Shaddoll Beast_. Once per turn, when it's sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can draw 1 card."

He did so. "And would you look at that," Ito smirked, revealing the card for all to see. "The Spell Card: _Shaddoll Fusion_. Of _course_ I'll activate that! Because as you well know, Masumi, when my opponent controls a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck— _any_ opponent at all," he added, with a glance at Hotene and her _Petolphin_ , "I can fuse monsters from my _Deck_ in addition to my hand and field to perform a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse _Shaddoll Lizard_ and _Shaddoll Hound_ from my Deck!"

Masumi caught the faintest glimpse of two purplish-black puppets, both suspended by glowing strings that pulled them inexorably into the familiar tempest of shadows and dark energy that heralded Ito's monsters.

 **"Dark threads of the otherworld,"** chanted the entity, **"bind the** ** _shadows_** **to your will!** ** _Fusion Summon!_** **"**

 _Here we go._ Masumi bit her lip, ready for the inevitable.

 **"Extinguish the light of hope in the hearts of men! Rise now,** ** _El Shaddoll Midrash!_** **"**

The dragon-puppet that Masumi knew looked so much like Shen's _Pulao, Dracomet of Wind_ emerged from the vortex, its golden beak snapping at thin air, growling at the Duelists before it (Level 5: _ATK 2200_ /DEF 800).

Masumi stole a quick glance at Hotene, who'd uttered a soft cry just now; her curly hair had completely deflated, and her eyes were wide and brimming with tears. For the first time, Hotene actually looked _scared_ , and the Fusion user couldn't blame her in the slightest.

"It's okay, Hotene," she called out, trying her best to soothe the girl even as _Midrash's_ bulbous eyes leered down at them. "The big bad dragon's not going to hurt you." That, at least, was true; _Petolphin_ was one of the best shields a Duelist could hope to have in this situation—a high-DEF monster that couldn't be destroyed by card effects.

"If I were you, I wouldn't go around making promises you can't keep," Ito's voice sneered at them; somehow while Masumi had been occupied with Hotene, the sentient mass of flaming shadows had leapt atop _Midrash_ , standing between the puppet-dragon's horns like some horrible imitation of a conquering hero.

"Now, then— _Shaddoll Lizard's_ effect! Once per turn, when it's sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can send another _Shaddoll_ monster from my Deck to the Graveyard—and that monster will be _Shaddoll Hedgehog_." The entity slid a card into its Graveyard slot. "Now for _Shaddoll Hedgehog's_ effect—once per turn, when _it's_ sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can add a _Shaddoll_ card from my Deck to my hand." An instant later, one such card jutted outward from Ito's Deck, and was snatched up a moment later.

"And lastly, _Shaddoll Hound's_ effect," Ito went on. "Once per turn, when _it's_ sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can change the battle position of any monster on the field—for instance, that _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin_!" A vaguely canine shadow lanced outward from where Ito stood, straight for Hotene's monster. The dolphin and its rider lurched upwards in an attempt to avoid it, signifying its switch into Attack Position.

Masumi was vexed, but not terribly so; Hotene had enough time to switch _Petolphin_ back into Defense Position again if she ever felt the need. What concerned her more was that Ito had chosen to go after Hotene specifically; was it trying to scare the little girl? If that was true, the entity certainly appeared to be succeeding—the trembling Fusion Duelist Masumi now saw looked nothing like the willful, devil-may-care child she'd met in Trampo-Land.

"Now, I'll Normal Summon another _Shaddoll Hound_ in Attack Position," declared Ito, as a second canine puppet materialized on its field (Level 4: _ATK 1600_ /DEF 900), its head and legs bound by more glowing threads, which it snapped at to no avail; Masumi felt rather unnerved by the violent action.

"After that—Equip Spell: _Nephe Shaddoll Fusion_ ," Ito said. "I can activate this card by declaring an Attribute—let us say, FIRE—and by equipping this card to a _Shaddoll_ monster like my _Hound_ , it now becomes that Attribute!

"The next effect of _Nephe Shaddoll Fusion_ ," Ito told them, as _Shaddoll Hound_ began to glow a bright orange color, "lets me fuse the equipped monster and any other _Shaddoll_ in my hand or on my field for a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse my _Hound_ with the _Shaddoll Dragon_ in my hand!"

Impulsively, Masumi bit her lip, not even caring that this was the first time she'd seen a Fusion Summon achieved with an _Equip_ Spell. She knew what was coming next.

Another vortex of light and shadow bloomed over Ito's head, sucking in the _Hound_ and turning it into a faint streak of whirling orange, swiftly joined by a sinuous dragon-like shape of formless blackness:

 **"** **Dark threads of the otherworld,"** the entity bellowed, **"bind the** ** _flames_** **to your will!** ** _Fusion Summon!_** **"**

Masumi held her breath, bracing her body and mind for the appearance of the giant that was coming—whose shadow she could see taking shape inside the hurricane—

 **"Burn away the foes who dare to defy your power! Rise now,** ** _El Shaddoll Egrysta!_** **"**

When it came, _Egrysta_ leapt out of the vortex at such a great height that its massive shadow was cast over Masumi and the other five Duelists alongside her. Seconds later, the car-sized feet of Ito's Fusion Monster shook the earth, causing everyone to stumble as the corroded warrior drew itself to its full, building-sized height (Level 7: _ATK 2450_ /DEF 1950).

" _Shaddoll Dragon's_ effect activates!" Ito howled. "Once per turn, when it's sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can target a Spell or Trap Card on the field, and destroy it—so I think I'll target your face-down card, Masumi!"

 _Damn it._ Masumi knew she could not activate _Gem Enhance_ now, having no monsters to Tribute to activate its effect. Cursing Ito, she slid the card into her Graveyard slot.

"I set one card face-down, and I end my turn," Ito finished at long last, slipping a card into his own Duel Disk—leaving a suddenly vulnerable Masumi unsure as to what she was supposed to do from here. She was handless, fieldless … as defenseless as defenseless could be.

 _I need to be_ beyond _lucky with this next draw_ , she thought with a long look at the top card of her Deck, _or I am_ dead.

* * *

Beside her, Yaiba was eyeing Ito's Fusion Monsters with an expression of great unease. "I don't get it," he huffed. "He goes to all that trouble to Fusion Summon two monsters in one turn—but neither one looks all that strong. Big, sure"—he cast a look at _Egrysta_ —"in fact, really, _really_ big … but not _strong_. What gives?"

"This is no ordinary Field Spell Ito's using," explained Masumi. " _Cursed Shadow's Snare_ is the very core of his _Shaddoll_ Deck. Look at our monsters." She'd almost forgotten about that blasted Field until Yaiba had mentioned the comparative strength of Ito's field presence; a quick look downwards at the large number of shadows spreading out from the monsters her friends had Summoned immediately confirmed her suspicions.

Yaiba now saw them too, and looked even more concerned. "Every time a card effect sends one of his monsters to the Graveyard," Masumi told him, "this Field of his gains a counter that weakens _our_ monsters' ATK during each of our turns—you see those shadows?" She pointed to Hotene's _Petolphin_ —the nearest monster to them—and counted the shadows that spread out from underneath the dolphin's hovering form. "Six of them—one for every _Shaddoll_ Ito sent. That means while it's our turn, every monster we Summon automatically loses 600 ATK."

The Synchro user winced. "That's a game-changer, all right," he sighed. "I've been in more Duels than I can count where 600 ATK ended up being the difference between a win and a loss."

"It gets worse," Masumi said sullenly. "This Field is also what lets Ito use _our_ monsters in his Fusion Summons. All he has to do is remove three of those counters—and you saw how quickly it took him to get _twice_ that many."

Yaiba stared at Ito, looking rather pale. "How do we beat something like this?"

"Good question." Hokuto had been listening in, and his gaze was fixed on Masumi even as he spoke. "Is there anything more that you can tell us about these _Shaddolls_ , Masumi?"

Masumi shook her head. "Not enough." She gestured at _Midrash_ and _Egrysta_. "I don't know much about these Fusion monsters here, for one thing—I never lasted long enough against them to find out _their_ effects."

"Ito never used their effects on you?"

"No. I did try looking them both up in the database after the first duel I had against them," Masumi told him. "But I still didn't find anything on them. That's what's been bothering me about this whole thing. Someone goes through all the trouble of classifying this entire Deck … but then purges it from the _Duel Monsters_ database anyway. Cards, strategies … even the Duelist who used them. Gone. _No one_ else knows anything about these Duel Mon … "

She never heard her voice trail off into nothingness, nor was she aware of Yaiba and Hokuto looking expectantly at her, waiting for her to finish. Her gaze had locked tightly on Ito; her stomach seemed to be dropping through an endless abyss as an unpleasant realization had suddenly occurred to her …

"I am an _idiot_ ," she blurted out, making Yaiba jump. "It was right in front of me this whole time! _No one_ else knows anything about these Duel Monsters … _except_ the Duelist who uses them!"

She took a step forward. "Isn't that right, _Ito?!_ "

The chuckle that issued from the entity was colder than any winter on earth. "I was beginning to think you'd never figure it out," it hissed, every word oozing with barely suppressed mirth. "Gaining access to your database took a great deal more effort than I thought, and I knew sooner or later someone was going to notice such sloppy work. You're as brilliant as any diamond out there, Koutsu Masumi. I'm glad you were the one to find me first."

The Fusion user ignored the compliment. _Ito was the hacker_ , a stunned voice inside her head kept saying over and over again. _Ito was the one who altered the database. It was him all along_.

 _… But how is that even possible?_ Masumi thought, totally confused. _Who the hell is this guy?_ What _is he?!_

"That having been said," Ito went on, "I don't like that you went all the way to the top just to make sure your voice was heard. When you got the chairwoman of LDS personally involved in this, you forced my hand—left me with no other choice but to employ some _drastic_ measures. I'm quite lucky that I've come to know you so thoroughly, or we might not all be here tonight."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Yaiba shouted at him. "You're just part of a dream. You're nothing but a figment of Masumi's imagination—you couldn't possibly know anything about what she's done!"

"Oh, I am very real, I can assure you _that_ ," Ito smirked. "Masumi's known I was real ever since she found out about the database being altered—haven't you, my dear?"

Silence. Masumi sensed five pairs of eyes slowly being trained upon her.

"Masumi?" Shen's dark eyes were like flint. "Is this true?"

She couldn't speak—a lump had worked its way into her throat. "I … I don't know," she choked out. "I want so badly to believe I'm wrong … but I just don't … I don't …

 _I don't want to admit it's possible because there's no way it_ can _be possible how can Ito exist in the real world and the dream world at the same time why is he doing this to me_

why

 _WHY_

 **WHY**

"Masumi!" She felt a pair of rough hands shake her shoulders.

"Don't let him get to you!" Yaiba bellowed at her, spittle flying in her face. "This is _not_ the time to fall to pieces—we've still got a Duel to finish here. And if you aren't in any shape to Duel Ito, then _none_ of us have a chance!"

The Synchro Duelist stopped shaking Masumi; stars were dancing in her eyes as she tottered to her feet—when had she fallen? Had she lost her balance just now? She didn't bother asking—she knew Yaiba was right. This was no time to panic.

Slowly—once, twice, thrice, and again—she took a deep breath, at once calming her nerves and allowing her mind to focus. Her eyes took in the field—on both her side and Ito's. She noted the monsters, their positions and their strength; while she did so, her fingers slowly but surely reached for her Deck.

 _Grind out the preform_ … it all came down to this one single card … _sand away the edges_ … if this was the card she needed, then she might just survive to make a counterattack … _lap at the surface_ … if it was any other card, then there was nothing she could do against the onslaught of Fusion …

…

"My … **_TURN!_** "

…

 _Polish for good measure._

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _Et voilà_.

Filled with a sudden invigoration of hidden strength, Masumi slapped her card on the Duel Disk with such violence that her palm stung for moments afterwards. "I summon _Gemresis_ in Attack Position!" she shrieked as the glinting armor of her armadillo-like monster uncurled into a threatening stance (Level 4: _ATK 1700_ /DEF 500).

"Don't forget about my _Cursed Shadow's Snare,_ " chided Ito; as if on cue, half a dozen tendrils of translucent shadow now spread out from _Gemresis'_ claws, lowering its ATK to a mere 1100—but Masumi didn't care.

" _Gemresis'_ effect activates when it's Normal Summoned," she told Ito, "and lets me add a _Gem-_ monster from my Deck to my hand!" _And I know exactly which monster to find_ , she thought.

Once she'd searched it out successfully: "Now I activate the effect of the _Gem-Knight Fusion_ in my Graveyard! I'll banish _Gem-Knight Ganet_ to return _Gem-Knight Fusion_ back to my hand!"

Several swiped cards later: "Now, I'll activate that _Gem-Knight Fusion!_ I can send monsters in my hand or my field to my Graveyard for a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse the Rock-Type _Gemresis_ on my field … with this second copy of _Gem-Knight Obsidia_ in my hand!"

It was the perfect counter, she thought in elation. Only one monster in her Deck could be Fusion Summoned with this particular combination of monsters— _Gem-Knight Zirconia_. It didn't have any powerful effect to its name—or any effect at all, for that matter. What it did have was 2900 ATK—just enough to take out Ito's _Midrash_ , no matter how many of those damned monsters he'd sent to his Graveyard. And even better—

" _El Shaddoll Egrysta's_ effect!"

Masumi's mind skidded to a halt as she heard Ito roar the words. _Uh-oh_.

The derision in the entity's voice could have cut diamonds. "Once per turn," Ito said, "I can negate the Special Summon of a monster, _destroy_ that monster, and then send a _Shaddoll_ card from my hand to the Graveyard!"

 _No!_ Masumi didn't know whether her mind or her mouth had spoken the single word—all that was racing through her mind was the one hope she had of regaining control in this Duel … gone in a flash before her very eyes.

"I negate the Summon of your Fusion Monster—and then, I send _Shaddoll Hedgehog_ from my hand to the Graveyard," Ito smirked. The pleasure in its voice at having robbed Masumi of her chance made her skin crawl. " _Shaddoll Hedgehog's_ effect now activates, and lets me add a _Shaddoll_ card from my Deck to my hand."

Masumi was no longer listening to him, though. _Zirconia_ —once destined for the chance of finally breaking through Ito's defenses—was reluctantly relegated to her Graveyard with fumbling fingers. But all was not lost yet.

" _Gem-Knight Obsidia's_ effect," she growled. "When it's sent from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower _Gem-Knight_ Normal Monster in my Graveyard—and it just so happens there's one in my Graveyard now!"

 _Gem-Knight Sanyx_ was one of an especially rare subtype of monsters known as a _Dual_ monster. These monsters were treated as Normal Monsters in the hand or Graveyard, as well as on the field—however, they could all be Normal Summoned while they were still on the field, provided their controller hadn't already used the one Normal Summon allowed by the rules of the game.

Masumi was well aware she'd already used that Normal Summon to bring out her _Gemresis_. _Sanyx_ , however, was only one of three Dual monsters in her Deck. All three of them synergized with one another to some degree—but bringing them all out was often so slow that she rarely had the chance to take full advantage of any of their Dual effects.

But something was wrong—her Graveyard wasn't ejecting _Sanyx_. Confounded, Masumi tried forcing the slot open, but to no avail. She wondered if maybe her Duel Disk might have malfunctioned; such complex machines needed regular, proper maintenance, and Masumi was not as devoted to the laborious task as she knew she ought to be.

 _What the hell?!_

A sudden flashing from her Duel Disk distracted her—and moments later, her confusion had redoubled. "A Dueling error?" she repeated, reading the tiny message bubble that had appeared on the screen. "What's going on here?!"

" _El Shaddoll Midrash's_ effect." Ito's sneer felt colder than ever as he stroked the horns of his puppet steed. "While it remains on the field, it cannot be destroyed by my opponents' card effects … and _no_ Duelist can Special Summon more than once per turn."

"No way!" Yaiba and Fuyu shouted in perfect unison.

Neither boy was alone; the revelation of _Midrash's_ effect had sown outright pandemonium among Masumi and her allies. Hotene's jaw was slack, her mouth in a perfectly circular O. Shen's dark eyes were wide beneath his hairless brow—the most emotion he'd yet shown up to this point. Masumi herself was rooted to the ground, shell-shocked.

"You can't be serious," she could only whisper—there had to be limits to how utterly _broken_ a card's effect was! She'd never come across an effect this nasty since … since … it was on the tip of her tongue … when _was_ the last time she'd faced a monster with such a devastating effect?

"Well, of _course_ I'm being serious," Ito hissed from atop _Midrash_ 's head. There was no longer any pleasure in the entity's voice, only an icy, malevolent venom that stabbed at Masumi's insides like so many thousands of needles. "It's long past time that someone _had_ to be, when it came to turning your knowledge of Dueling against you. You at the Leo Duel School pride yourselves on the _monopoly_ you hold over Extra Deck Summoning. _My_ Deck was created specifically to take that monopoly away from you—Fusion, Synchro, Xyz … even Pendulum Summoning.

"To put it quite simply," growled Ito, "I was born and bred to defeat the likes of you!"

"He's right, Masumi." Yaiba's face had gone as white as chalk. "We're in trouble. As long as Ito has those two monsters out, we can't Special Summon _any_ monsters at all. Not one. That means no Synchro—

"—no Xyz—" growled Hokuto.

"—and no Fusion," realized Masumi, swearing under her breath again as the full ramifications of this turn of events sank in. _Even if we_ do _manage to Special Summon anything_ , she thought, _Ito will just negate it with Egrysta, fill his Graveyard with even more Shaddolls, which is going to weaken our monsters even further with that Field Spell … and_ that _makes even our_ Normal _Summoned monsters in danger of being used as Fusion Material themselves …_

 _As if that wasn't enough, we're in a dream—which means all the damage we take in this Duel might as well be_ real.

Her jaw went slack. " … We're in trouble," she echoed Yaiba. _There's no possible way things can get any worse._

"If that's what you really think, then you're all just as arrogant as the rest of your school," Ito scoffed. "None of you even know the meaning of the word 'trouble'—because your friend is wrong, Masumi. I am more than a mere _figment_ —and you are in more than just a mere _dream_."

"What are you talking about?" an incensed Yaiba shouted. "Stop playing games—what do you have against my friend?"

"Nothing at all," said Ito. "She and I are _so_ very much alike, you know. Two Duelists, unparalleled in their mastery of Fusion Summoning … I knew that it was only a matter of time before she would come to seek me out. It's only natural that power should be attracted to a much greater power."

 _Seek out Ito?!_ Masumi was hopelessly confused now—between the sudden shift in the Duel and Ito's continued taunting, it was a wonder her brain was still functioning.

"Why would I want to seek out someone like you?!" she snarled. "I told you, I want _nothing_ to do with you _or_ what you represent! You've already admitted you're connected to the Fusion Dimension," she added, to looks of blank shock from her friends. "As far as I'm concerned, that makes you one of the invaders that destroyed the lives of people I hold very dear to me!"

She took the time to glance at Hokuto out of the corner of her eye. "You are a _monster_ , Ito," Masumi spat. "Maybe you're innocent of the crimes that those Duelists committed, but in my eyes, you're still just as guilty as they are for letting those crimes happen. I swear on my honor as a Duelist that I will make you answer for them!"

Ito laughed, long and loud—a high-pitched laugh that sent spikes of ice down Masumi's spine.

"You ask me about 'why'?" it hissed. "Don't you remember _why_ you came to see me in the first place?"

"Why do you care?" Masumi shot back. "Besides, _you_ were the one who came to see me first!"

" _Was_ I?" Ito's voice was dangerously soft. "Look behind you."

Something in that tone of voice told Masumi she should do everything in her power not to—but a small part of her was certain she already knew what she would find. Slowly, on leaden legs, she turned on her heel … and felt her stomach plummet right out of her body when she saw it:

 **I, MÆTH**

" _That's_ why you came to see me." Ito's whisper felt deafeningly loud. "All this time, you've been in search of _æmæth_ : the truth of God … never knowing that what you might find would lead you to your end—to _mæth_."

But Masumi paid it no heed. Her mind was working at light speed, swallowed up, spat back out, and swallowed up once more by the gigantic letters that continued to stare back at her as though they were alive.

"You're so close now, Masumi," Ito breathed silkily in her ear, as if to a lover. "Use that brilliance to pierce the shadows that guard the _truth_. See the face behind the veil … and know that at long last, you have found _æmæth_."

 _Æmæth_ … _mæth_ … _truth_ and _death_ … Masumi had learned of _æmæth_ first, even though she had not understood the meaning of the ancient Word until later … she had seen _mæth_ as well, but not until after she'd learned of it from—

 _…_

 _Grind._

 _…_

 _Sand._

 _…_

 _Lap._

 _…_

 _Polish._

 _…_

 _Et voilà._

 _…_

Masumi whirled around so quickly she almost lost her balance. "It can't be … " she mumbled.

But even as she stared wild-eyed at what was happening to Ito, she knew there was no other explanation. "This is … this is _impossible_ … "

The walking fire-shadow was mutating once again before her. The inferno that made up Ito's body was smoothing out—each individual tongue of purple fire bending into rigid, solid shapes, stretching and contorting into images no flames could ever reproduce. Now the fire itself was slipping away, slowly cast off from the legs up like some exotic _négligée_ , collecting on the cracked asphalt, forgotten …

Masumi could not move. Her limbs had been turned to lead; her lips felt as though they'd been sewn shut. All she could do was stare in horror at the newest incarnation of the nightmare that had tormented her for nights on end, and the days that followed, knowing its true form was far more terrifying than she had ever imagined …

Deep inside, she was now well aware that she'd been _dead wrong_ : there was indeed a way that things could get much, _much_ worse.

"I … am _truth_ … " said the voice of Ito.

Like the last gasps of a sputtering candle, the violet shadow-flames that enveloped the entity were swept away from its formless head before disappearing entirely, extinguished at last. Masumi, trembling from head to toe, felt the last of her insides shrivel up as she finally saw the face lurking beneath …

"And I … am _death_ ," said the voice of Dr. Gwendolyn Grimm.

* * *

 **A/N: Full disclosure: I may be writing these next few chapters under the influence of Halestorm's 'Mz. Hyde'. I regret nothing.**

 **So. We've come to the final Duel at last, and with it, the final reveal—or at least, the beginning of them both. There're still some questions to be asked in the chapters to come, a lot more answers to be given as well—and of course, weaving all these plot threads into a six-on-one Duel that hasn't even begun to get interesting will prove a right mountain to climb.**

 **I'll be on holiday break over the next two weeks or so to visit the family (** ** _Star Wars VII_** **, here I come!), so climbing that mountain's going to take a little more time. Two chapters in one week hasn't** ** _completely_** **tired me out, but I don't want to take any more chances with another burnout.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!** ** _Because the fun has just begun …_** **(evil laughter) - K**


	10. X

X

Rokkaku Yuki rose up from her armchair in the living room, marking the page in her book before setting it aside with an ill-concealed yawn. It was almost midnight—and she'd never felt more tired all week.

Yuki had never claimed to be a night owl, ironically enough for someone who'd been married to an astronomer for the past fifteen years. That distinction had belonged to Taiyou, who'd often gone days without sleeping in the past, so interested was he in the night sky. Since opening this planetarium, those days were fewer and farther between—something Yuki had thanked her lucky stars for—and caring for their son had made them practically nonexistent.

Speaking of her son … She stifled another yawn, but Taiyou, sitting on the couch across from her, had noticed.

"Heading to bed, Yuki?"

"Not quite," she replied to her husband. "I want to check up on Fuyu and his friends one last time before I do—make sure they aren't causing any trouble for him in there."

"Mm. I don't think you ought to worry about that," shrugged Taiyou as he pored through tonight's e-mail on his tablet. "They seem well-behaved enough—well," he added, "altogether, at least. That little girl Masumi brought with her sounds like she was quite the handful; Masumi was watching her all day, too—I'm surprised she didn't fall asleep while she was Dueling Fuyu."

He shrugged again. "Still, I think the rest of them are mature enough to know to be mindful around our son."

Yuki knew that he had a point. Masumi had been quite polite to them both—if somewhat reserved, as though there was something that she didn't want to tell them. Yaiba was his usual self, even if he looked like he'd mellowed out recently. Both parents had pretended not to hear snippets of the heated conversation the two Duelists had exchanged earlier that night, however—not that it had really mattered; they'd been tactful enough to take it outside so no one would have to get dragged into any unnecessary drama—and whatever they'd been arguing about, Masumi and Yaiba had both walked back in as though nothing had happened between them.

Now they were all inside the theater of the planetarium, sound asleep after what had sounded like a very busy day, especially for kids their age. Kids were still kids, however, no matter how well-behaved they were; Yuki had a feeling that at least one of them was still staying up later than they ought to be. It was a sleepover, yes, but it was also Fuyu's _first_ sleepover. She didn't doubt that he'd been the first one of them to fall asleep—and while Taiyou had convinced himself everything would be fine, Yuki had been the one to bear their only son and give birth to him—in her mind, that made her all the more responsible for making sure Fuyu wasn't regretting his choice.

"I'll peek in for only a minute," she reassured her husband, "and then I'll turn in for the night." She planted a kiss on Taiyou's forehead. "Don't stay up too late, okay?"

"When have I ever?" Taiyou said wryly. Yuki couldn't help but laugh at the hypocritical humor, and she continued to titter even as they bade each other goodnight.

It took less than a minute for her to take the stairs up to the main level of the planetarium and cross the hallway to the theater. She'd been checking them every hour on the hour to make sure everything was okay, but hadn't been unduly worried; all five children were sound asleep before she'd come up the first time. They'd left a mess of papers behind, though, which was mildly annoying—Yuki would have to talk to them about cleaning up after themselves before they went home tomorrow morning. Curiously, most of those papers had been scribbled with notes about Duel Monsters, but as all five of them were students at LDS, Yuki shrugged it off as some sort of class project they were working on.

Quietly, she opened the door to the theater, tiptoeing inside as softly as her joints would let her. Not that anyone would have heard; Fuyu and all the others were still as sound asleep as they'd been the last time Yuki had come to check on them. If anything, she thought, they sounded even _quieter_ than last time.

She frowned. That was odd; Fuyu had a tendency to make a sort of nasally wheeze every time he slept. Far from the log-sawing noises Taiyou used to make in the early years of their marriage, but still loud enough to be noticeable. Tonight, however, her son was as quiet as the grave.

Yuki knelt down beside her son; his long bangs were covering his nose and mouth as he slept. Smiling softly, she moved to gently brush away his hair so he could sleep more peacefully—

She recoiled, just barely stifling a curse in surprise. Her fingertips had just grazed the skin on Fuyu's forehead for barely an instant—but that instant was enough for her to register that he was _freezing cold_. Her motherly instinct kicked in, and she immediately pulled the blanket tighter over her son's body, trying to warm him up.

But something wasn't right. Yuki knew the HVAC automatically switched off after visitor hours to the planetarium had concluded, because there weren't nearly as many people in the planetarium afterward to heat up the space. So it couldn't have done this—made his skin feel so cold—

Then she noticed Fuyu's hair had once again fallen across his mouth and nose—but they weren't stirring in the slightest; even the tiniest of breaths would have caused them to flutter.

Now Yuki was concerned. Was Fuyu playing possum on her? He had no reason to do so—at least, none that she knew. She leaned close to his ear, knowing there was one way to find out.

"Fuyu?" she whispered, soft enough that no one else would stir, but loud enough for Fuyu to hear, and react in some way—but he did not. He remained lying there, completely still.

Yuki bit her lip, trying to calm herself as best she could—she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Slowly, gingerly, she pulled back a bit of the spacesuit that covered the side of Fuyu's neck, extended her index and middle fingers … touching the cold flesh, feeling for that one spot that could tell her for certain whether or not Fuyu was faking …

 _He was not_.

Yuki really _did_ swear at this point, and stumbled to her feet so quickly that she lost her balance, tumbling into Masumi's sleeping form. Masumi, however, did not stir—and a second after that, Yuki realized why.

She'd thrown out her hands to break her fall; in doing so, she'd accidentally grasped Masumi by her exposed neck. Yuki let go just as quickly, though, a hundred apologies already forming in her head—but each one vanished into oblivion an instant later as her fingers registered the same frigid skin of the Fusion user, the same lack of a pulse …

… and the same lack of breath.

Rokkaku Yuki turned in a complete circle, taking in the scene of the five silent children before her as a sudden terror clawed at her insides. Then, without even realizing it, she was pulling out her phone with fumbling fingers, and sprinting out of the theater as if possessed.

"Taiyou!" Her pleading scream cut through the silent planetarium like a knife as she dialed 119—the direct-dial number for emergency medical services. "Taiyou, get up here _now!_ Something's wrong with Fuyu—oh, God, something's wrong with _all of them! Taiyou!_ "

* * *

Even before the last word had left the speaker's lips, Masumi had taken several steps back in horror. As if it had carried some ancient, immeasurable magic, it had confirmed the sight unfolding right before her eyes—and yet, it made everything seem doubly unreal, even in this dream.

The willow-thin marionette standing atop the spine of _El Shaddoll Midrash_ stood just as tall as Wendy, and had the same long green hair as Wendy—only it was thicker and much more rigid, as if the whole thing had been carved out of jointed wood. It even had the same threadbare, plum-colored overcoat that Masumi had seen Wendy wearing only this morning—but this too was stiff and jointed, and the wide purple sleeve on the arm that wasn't bearing her Duel Disk looked like nothing so much as a hollow purple cone. More of those infernal violet threads streamed from the puppet's body—some connected with the dragon imitation it stood upon, while others raced into the sky, linking up with the gigantic cloud-strings that bore silent witness to the Duel below.

And the face … Masumi had never before seen a puppet that had possessed a face so lifelike, yet so _lifeless_. The lustrous emerald eyes of Wendy, once shining with the prospect of talking to her favorite student, had no light left to them. They were soulless and empty now, yet in their depths there remained a dark flame—a malevolent spirit like none Masumi had ever felt before, even from Ito—and where there should have been pupils, there was a strange curly shape that no human eye should ever possess. Shadows danced across the carved lips of the mouth, twisting it into a wicked smile. Spiky black letters had been burned onto the puppet's face like macabre tattoos: a single _m_ between Wendy's eyes, and a _th_ on her left temple.

 _Æmæth_ , Masumi instinctively realized amidst her growing fear. _Will that damned Word never end?!_

"Don't look so surprised, Masumi dear." The puppet of Wendy even spoke with the same British accent she used—but there was none of the friendly warmth to her voice anymore; every word the puppet spoke carried a cold, almost mechanical sort of menace to it that made Masumi's blood freeze in her veins. "You were doing so well just now. All the pieces of the puzzle are within your grasp—now go on, put it all together."

She tittered under a jointed hand, and the coldness that gripped Masumi pierced further still into her heart. The Fusion user growled under her breath—no matter how much this puppet might look and sound like Wendy Grimm, this was _not_ Wendy Grimm.

And yet …

"H-how?" Masumi finally found her voice, but even then, it only came out as a breathy whisper through her shock. "All this time … it was you all along, Wendy?"

"Wendy?" Yaiba asked from in front of her, frowning apprehensively. "This is that counselor you told us you were seeing?" When Masumi slowly nodded, his frown only deepened.

"To be precise, it's how young Masumi knows me best, Toudou Yaiba," corrected the puppet, "although now that she's seen the _truth_ , there's no point in wearing _that_ particular mask any longer—nor is there any further need of Ito, for that matter, even if that disguise was a personal favorite of mine. I can't say I miss being Wendy much, to be honest," she added, her tone unusually bitter. "I do so prefer my practical psychology to be a little more _hands-on_. But I understand now it was necessary I avoid Dueling as long as possible, to avert any suspicion falling upon me … "

She gave a shuddering moan that made Masumi shiver. Then—"Oh, how I've _missed_ this for so very long, to no longer hide what I really am!" Dr. Grimm hissed. "I'd almost forgotten how _good_ it feels, to be a wolf among the lambs once again!"

Masumi backed away. "Who—what _are_ you?" she demanded—though her heart was not in it at all; the change that had suddenly come over the Wendy-puppet above her was scaring her beyond all reason.

The puppet laughed. "That's the wonderful thing about dreams, Masumi," she answered her. "If you put your mind to it, you can be anyone or anything you want to be. For example, I can be Wendy Grimm—mild-mannered student counselor at the Leo Duel School in Maiami City."

The shadows that danced over the puppet's mouth now fell away, revealing the wide smirk of a cat that had just cornered a family of mice. " _Or_ ... I can be Dr. _Gwendolyn_ Grimm— _psi_ -level Duelist. Military rank: Lieutenant Colonel. Title: 'the _Golem_ of Academia.'"

 _Academia_. For some reason, the single word brought even more shivers down Masumi's spine. So that was it: they must be from the Fusion Dimension, she thought—and so was Dr. Grimm. Idly, she wondered if this Academia was a school like LDS … or something else completely. She thought of how Dr. Grimm had called herself a Lieutenant Colonel, and wondered if perhaps it was a military institution of some sort.

"I've come to know you quite well over these past few days, Masumi," Dr. Grimm was saying in the meantime. "Sooner or later, with or without my help, one of us was going to start dreaming about the other. I was counting on that someone being you—my powers don't work quite so well on the unwilling."

"Powers?" Hotene, who'd gone so long without piping up that Masumi jumped, had been staring wide-eyed at the puppet as if it had grown a second head.

"Just because you're dreaming doesn't have to mean that what you're seeing here isn't _real_ , darling," Dr. Grimm acknowledged the little girl. "I'm not some mere manifestation of your mind—and neither are the children who are Dueling alongside you. We are all _here_ , dreaming the same dream— _my_ dream. As much as I'd like to say this all happened because of _me_ , though, none of it might ever have started at all if someone _else_ weren't so eager."

The dead eyes of the puppet swiveled towards Masumi, whose shock had only intensified. _What does she mean_ , her _dream?_

 _Wait. What does she mean, we're_ all _here?!_

"Hmm … perhaps another explanation is in order," Dr. Grimm said, apparently being able to read Masumi's mind. "I'm what you might call a _Psychic_ Duelist—a person gifted with extraordinary powers that enhance their Dueling abilities in ways _normal_ people can never be capable of."

"What're you trying to tell us?" Yaiba said uneasily. "That you can read minds?"

Masumi tensed at this, and the puppet's smile grew frighteningly wide. _Psychic?!_

"Oh, dear, no," Dr. Grimm purred. "I can do much, _much_ more than that." She tapped the polished porcelain skin beneath her rigid green hair. "This blessed brain of mine can chain itself to another person's subconscious. Not just anyone, mind you; I have to get close to them, first—whether in body, mind, or soul. But when I do, I'm able to appear inside their dreams as anything I wish—a whisper, a _Shadow_ … even flesh and blood."

The smirk on her face lengthened even more. "That's when the fun _really_ begins."

The marionette reached outward with her hand—the one that carried her Duel Disk—and made a fist. That Duel Disk, Masumi now saw, was beginning to glow with a faint yellow light. Suddenly, that light flared once, and the apparatus disintegrated into a million pieces—then, just as suddenly, reformed into a Duel Disk once again … but not the _same_ Duel Disk.

Masumi saw the shield-like construction of the purple device, and the swordblade hovering parallel that glowed with the same navy light as before, for only a moment—and it served as further confirmation of what she already knew.

"Go-between, my foot," she growled. "I've seen that style of Duel Disk before! You're one of those invaders who attacked us a week ago! You aren't just connected to the Fusion Dimension—you're _from_ the Fusion Dimension!"

Dr. Grimm laughed. "Right again, Masumi. I still didn't participate in the invasion outright—it was imperative even then that I maintain my cover inside LDS. But even so, the Professor of Academia thinks quite a bit more highly of me than he does of the girl who got rid of that Xyz slime over there." Her eyes narrowed, alighting upon the echo of Shijima Hokuto with all the finesse of a blade slicing homeward for the kill.

Hokuto bristled at the insult. "Say that a little louder, why don't you?"

"Don't you _dare_ talk about my friend that way!" Fuyu growled at her; for the first time, he sounded angry.

"Oh, don't be so quick to judge," Dr. Grimm _hmphed_. "To be quite frank, I actually envy the boy—compared to what's in store for the rest of you lot, being sealed into a card is a _paradise_. Unfortunately for you, though, I don't bother with the whole sealing-into-a-card routine—that's grunt work; I leave _that_ to the Obelisk Force and their ilk. My powers aren't just limited to _controlling_ dreams, you see."

 _Controlling_. "Then this was your dream from the beginning?" Masumi realized out loud, gazing at the ruined Maiami City around her as if seeing it for the first time. "Even when I Dueled you two nights ago … I was already being affected by your powers, wasn't I?"

The puppet of Dr. Grimm pursed her rigid lips—again, Masumi remembered, just like Wendy had done in their first meeting. "Yes," she eventually said, "and no. Most of this dream was my design, yes, but I merely built upon the cornerstone _you_ laid, Masumi. This is _your_ dream—your own memories are the basis of this entire world—but I've added on so much to this dream world that it might as well be _mine._ As I said," she added, "if you weren't so eager to beat me, then we might never have come to this point—and none of you might be in the danger you're in right now."

"What danger?" Yaiba shouted. "Unless you're lurking outside Fuyu's planetarium right now, there's no way we're in danger!"

Dr. Grimm tittered again, sending shivers down Masumi's spine yet again with how similar she sounded to Wendy. "Didn't you hear me the first time, boy?" she sneered. "There's more than one way to get close to someone. 'Body, mind, _or_ soul', I believe were my exact words—and Masumi here has shared with me what she never could with any of you. Mine's not an especially quick method, I'll grant you—but the Duelist hasn't been born that can break free from my grasp."

"You did not answer his question," Shen said—far from angry, but his voice was raised, and there was a glint to his gaze that Masumi had never seen before. "What manner of danger were you—"

He broke off here—the ground had suddenly started to rumble. For a moment, Masumi thought of the _Nephilim_ of last night's dream, and instantly braced herself for the worst. But after only a few seconds, the rumbling had passed as quickly as it had come, though Masumi could not tell whether the shaking in her legs was from the ground, or from her own fear.

Dr. Grimm had noticed. "Did you feel that—the earthquake?" she inquired. "That isn't you dreaming, Masumi ... that's the ambulance rushing you all to hospital."

Masumi's heart stopped. _What did she just say?!_

"Oh, yes—I would imagine that by now, the parents of that boy over there"—here, Dr. Grimm gestured carelessly to Fuyu, who recoiled—"have discovered five little children lying sound asleep on the floor of their planetarium. But those _five little children_ are no longer sound asleep—their breathing has stopped, you see, along with a number of their brain functions. Right now, those five little children are fighting for their very lives … and the hound-mistress that's holding their chain doesn't even _know it_."

The Fusion user was rooted to the asphalt, stunned. She wasn't breathing at all—no, she realized deep down … her _body_ wasn't breathing …

She knew from her health classes in school that this was the first step in a chain reaction that, if left unchecked, would spread throughout every system of her body … until her heart had stopped beating. Then came her lungs … her brain … cardiac arrest would set in … followed by …

Masumi felt a sudden numbness creeping over her body as she realized that the five Duelists alongside her _had only minutes to live_.

 _You will either win,_ Ito's voice whispered mockingly in her mind, _or you will die …_

She bit her lip for a few dangerously long seconds. _No_ , she thought resolutely, curling her hands into fists until the blood flowed from her nails, as they bit into her skin. _I'm not going to die!_

 _Not tonight!_

Then, before Dr. Grimm or anyone else could stop her, the Fusion Duelist did the first thing that came to mind—and punched herself hard in the face.

Pain was often the first step of the bridge that led from the dream world to the real world. Masumi knew this all too well from her past dreams, and the violent way they had ended. In her mind, then, as Dr. Grimm told her the unthinkable, she knew there had to be a way out—hence, by inflicting pain on her dream self to wake up in the real world. If what Dr. Grimm was saying turned out to be true, and all five of them were being rushed to the emergency room—and most importantly, once Masumi woke up—she could then do the same to her friends, thus getting them out of danger before cardiac arrest could claim them all.

As she reflexively squeezed her eyes shut to ward off the worst of the pain that was spreading throughout her face, numbing her lips and cheeks, she thought she'd come up with another good plan on the spur of the moment.

Except.

"Very clever, Masumi," Dr. Grimm's voice echoed in her ringing ears. "But tell me: after waking up inside of an ambulance—which, I would like to remind you, required you to do something I explicitly told you no Duelist ever _has_ —what exactly were you planning on doing after _that?_ "

Masumi's eyes snapped open.

The pain rapidly slid away from her face as she beheld the same twisted imagery of the dream world. Nothing had changed: the walls were still slathered in graffiti, the city was still ruined, the skies were still twisting with glowing cloud-strings—and most notably, four other young Duelists, and the echo of a fifth, were staring at her as though she'd suddenly gone mad. For all Masumi knew, that might well be the case.

But one way or the other, this was a problem.

"What's going on?" Masumi heard herself whisper. "I should be awake by now! Why am I still dreaming? _Why am I still here?!_ "

"Ugh—I really do dislike having to explain myself more than once," huffed Dr. Grimm, who had up until now watching the scene with detached pleasure. "I've added on so much to this dream that it's no longer _your_ dream. It _hasn't_ been your dream for a very, _very_ long time, Masumi. For all intents and purposes, you're in _my_ world now—so if you don't mind, I'd like to explain what's going to happen to you from here on out."

Her dead green eyes flashed. "My psychic powers are able to induce a catatonic state on any Duelist I wish," she explained, "Thus neutralized, they are sent to this dream world, and forced to battle me. It's the perfect battleground for my powers for two reasons—firstly, it's the one place where those rather _bothersome_ scanners I know your Leo Corporation possesses can't detect any Fusion Summoning energy that might otherwise give me away."

 _Scanners to detect Summoning energy?!_ Masumi's head was spinning now.

"Second, and more importantly," Dr. Grimm continued, "until this Duel has concluded, there's no way out for anyone I battle in this place—and with each passing Duel, their bodies and minds will weaken, becoming more susceptible to my powers with each loss they suffer.

"In essence, Masumi," smirked the puppet, "I used your emotional connection to Wendy Grimm as a way to extend my psychic influence over your friends. As soon as you fell asleep with them tonight, they became connected to me through you … which means these children are all dreaming the same dream we've been sharing for nights on end."

Masumi could barely breathe. How was it even possible for more than one person to have the same dream—and at the same time, no less?! Even if Dr. Grimm's claims of psychic powers made it possible, the level of concentration required for a collective dream of this scale—of this complexity—boggled her mind.

"And as Masumi knows _full well_ ," Dr. Grimm continued, speaking to the others, "she has already lost to me three times. If she loses to me tonight—if her Life Points hit zero before mine—you and your friends will be beyond all hope of saving. Your minds will be trapped in this world forever. None of you will ever wake up again."

The Fusion Duelist felt only a brief jolt to her insides as Dr. Grimm's words sank in—her downward spiral into despair was already terminal; this latest blow only intensified an already rapid fall. She'd led four innocent children to almost certain death—three of whom hardly even knew her a day.

Of course, nothing was ever _certain_ in a dream … but what could Masumi do, when even her dreams were no longer hers to control?

"I did tell you, Masumi, the last night we met," Dr. Grimm leered at her, "that if you did not win this Duel, then you would die. If you still don't believe I'm telling the truth … well, the _truth_ is all around you … "

She spread her arms outward. Masumi looked around her—and saw, quite clearly, the twisted _truth_ of Dr. Grimm:

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The heavily vandalized walls of the alleyway, inches thick with how many times it must have been painted and repainted over and over again, no longer bore a thousand indistinct tags and unknown messages, but the same, single, unmistakable Word, repeated over and over for thousands of times and thousands of miles, plastered on every inch of space Masumi could see. It was _everywhere,_ all around her—she could not see any surface around her, above her, or even beneath her, without that infernal Word. Even when she closed her eyes in a final attempt to deny what she already knew, she saw the echoes of the Word dance in her eyes, silently taunting her,

 _This is not a dream._

 _This is not a nightmare._

 _This is the last thing you will see before you die._

Yaiba saw the sight, too; all the color had long since drained from his face. "Okay—I was wrong about before," he said quite calmly, in spite of looking white as a sheet. " _Now_ we're in trouble."

The Fusion Duelist didn't even hear him. She was slowly turning to her left in impotent horror, turning to look at the three Duelists she'd befriended today. Each of them was staring back at her with looks of confused helplessness—or was it betrayed hopelessness? Whatever it was they were feeling, Masumi could not blame them—but neither could she pretend that no one here felt more helpless or confused than she did—nor more betrayed and hopeless than she did.

For she knew there was no one to blame here but herself. In that brief moment of clarity this morning—how long ago it felt now, like some bygone age of history that Masumi had witnessed only as a babe!—she'd decided to recruit as many Duelists as she could, using her memories of their Duels, their cards, and their strategies to devise a plan that would defeat the menace in her mind once and for all. Masumi, however, now knew she'd _vastly_ underestimated that menace—more than that, though, she'd failed to consider the possibility that it held more power over her than she would ever have dreamed was possible ... or how _close_ to her the source of this menace had been all along.

But most of all, as she witnessed the anguished looks on the faces of her friends, both new and old, she knew she'd failed _them_.

 _It was Wendy_ , a stunned part of her was still saying through it all ... a lone voice of reason in the mental typhoon that raged inside her. Wendy—Dr. Grimm—had manipulated her from the beginning—that much she knew now. She'd used their time together as a weapon against Masumi, spreading her poisonous influence through her mind to theirs, trapping them all like flies in in a spiderweb. How was she supposed to consider that something so outlandish—psychic powers, collective dreaming, to say nothing of the mortal danger they were in—would actually turn out to be true?!

No matter how much she debated with herself, however, Masumi was beginning to realize she'd provided all the ammunition the puppet needed for that weapon.

 _I'm so sorry_ , she silently spoke to the Duelists, meeting their gazes with what felt like one of the most pitiable expressions she'd ever worn in her life. _I didn't know … I never knew …_

She had never felt so powerless … and yet, at the same time, Masumi knew somehow that things were only going to get worse.

* * *

In another world, a phone rang, shattering the silence of the night.

Masumi's father grumbled as he ripped off the covers—and grumbled louder still upon the realization that it was _a quarter past midnight_. If he'd been awake enough to the unfamiliar number that was calling him, he might have screened the call, and let it go to his voicemail. As it was, though, he was annoyed at having been woken up so suddenly; therefore, he was intent on giving this unknown caller a rare piece of his mind, rudeness be damned.

He answered the phone. "Who is this?" he demanded. "Why are you calling me at an hour like this?"

Ten words later, he got his answer—and suddenly, he was wide awake, his heart thudding at his breast. In a split second, the world had been turned upside down; all thought of sleep was now forgotten.

He had no memory of sprinting out of bed, or of getting dressed—nor did he recall dashing out of the house and into his car. All that was on his mind as he gunned the engine, speeding out of the driveway with the reckless abandon of a father determined to protect his family—his phone practically glued to his ear the whole way as he continued to speak frantically to the woman on the line—was the static-laced fear of the first ten words she'd spoken to him:

 _Masumi's with me—she's in an ambulance—she isn't breathing!_

* * *

"So, then," Dr. Grimm grinned, as though she hadn't just unloaded an entire megaton of bombshells upon Masumi, "shall we continue? We are still in the middle of a Duel, after all, and none of you appear to have died yet. Time has no meaning inside of a dream, you know; the few minutes your physical forms have left to live can drag on for hours … or, they can fly by in a matter of _seconds_."

"So what's stopping you?" Yaiba demanded. "If you were planning on killing us all along, why haven't you?"

"A very good question." The smile remained eerily fixed upon the puppet's face. "For one thing, I'm not a psychic, only a psychic _Duelist_. The full extent of my powers is fully reliant upon my Dueling. Simply put, even though all of you are flirting with death's door as we speak, none of you can _actually_ die until I am victorious tonight. I did tell you, remember, that there's _no way out_ of this dream. As far as my powers are concerned, even _death_ is just another means of escape." Her eyes narrowed. "And I don't intend for any one of you to _escape_ me tonight."

 _A means of escape_ … The sheer nonchalance with which Dr. Grimm had spoken that simple phrase scared Masumi more than anything. She was toying with them all, she realized—the puppet had become the puppeteer. Dr. Grimm was going to make her puppets dance tonight, whether they wanted to or not—before throwing them all into the fire.

"More importantly, however," Dr. Grimm went on, "I don't plan on killing anyone at all tonight, if all goes well. All of you are such powerful Duelists—some more so than others, but that's _easily remedied_ ," she added, as her eyes flicked to Hokuto and Fuyu, dislike etched on every square inch of her face, "Killing any one of you would be a waste of resources. And if there's one thing the Professor doesn't like, it's _wasted resources_."

Through the darkness of the pit she continued to tumble into, Masumi understood. As long as they were all here, ensnared by Dr. Grimm's power, locked into this Duel, that was all she needed. They were all where she wanted them to be—why, Masumi did not yet understand, but there had to be a reason.

For now, however, there was no other option she could see.

"I hate to say it … but we ought to keep on Dueling," she muttered to Yaiba. "The longer we can, the longer we can survive—and the more we can learn about who and _what_ she is. If we're lucky … " _she can tell us all about that_ herself _,_ she added mentally. There was no need for Dr. Grimm to hear that.

Yaiba bit his lip, but eventually nodded. He had the look of a condemned man, resigned to his final fate. Masumi shivered briefly at the notion that she was seeing that look on a teenager.

The Synchro Duelist took a shuddering breath, and drew. "My turn!"

Yaiba studied the card only briefly before slapping it upon his blade. "I Summon _XX-Saber Ragigura_ in Defense Position!" he said. Moments later, a small chameleon in a scarlet cloak and dark gray armor sailed forth (Level 1: ATK 200 » **0** / _DEF 1000_ ), crossing X-shaped blades and hissing threateningly at the two Fusion Monsters opposite.

Masumi grimaced at the weak monster. Yaiba was already being forced into a defensive position; without his Gatmuz to guard his Life Points, she guessed he was feeling vulnerable enough that Summoning any monster at all would do to keep him in this Duel.

"Whenever _Ragigura_ is Normal or Special Summoned," Yaiba was saying, "I can add an _X-Saber_ monster from my Graveyard to my hand—so I'll return _XX-Saber Faultroll_!" Masumi saw the card in question ejected from his Duel Disk an instant before Yaiba swiped it up.

She frowned. _Faultroll_ could only be Special Summoned by controlling 2 other X-Sabers, she knew—but _Yaiba_ only had the one. What was more, he'd already used his Normal Summon on _Ragigura_. She could only assume he was posturing to make a move next turn, waiting to draw another monster and Summon _Faultroll_ then.

"Remember," Dr. Grimm said, petting her draconic puppet-steed, "the effect of my _Midrash_ won't allow you to Special Summon more than once per turn. If you're planning on doing that, I suggest you use that Summon wisely."

"And your _Egrysta_ negates that Summon," said Yaiba impatiently. "Yeah, yeah—I know that already."

Suddenly, he grinned. "But I wonder what happens if I Special Summon _more than one_ monster at the same time?"

Masumi saw Dr. Grimm pull herself back an inch or two, wondering what the puppet knew that she didn't—and then the Fusion user's eyes fell upon Yaiba's face-down card.

"Trap activate: _Gatmuz's Emergency Orders_!" howled the Synchro Duelist as he threw out his hand, revealing that card. "If there's an _X-Saber_ monster on the field, I can target two more _X-Sabers_ in the Graveyards, then Special Summon them both to my field! I target _X-Saber Souza_ and _XX-Saber Gatmuz_!"

Masumi's mouth fell open in delight as she realized what Yaiba was about to do. Somehow, he'd planned for the possibility that Dr. Grimm would have destroyed both of those Synchro Monsters, just as she'd done with that _Special Hurricane_ card only a few turns previously. By Summoning those two monsters, he could then be free to attack with the two strongest monsters he possessed! The best part was that if she understood the effects of those _Shaddoll_ Fusion Monsters right, this counted as only _one_ Special Summon, so it could bypass _Midrash's_ effect—yet Dr. Grimm would still have to choose between destroying _Souza_ or _Gatmuz_ with _Egrysta's_ effect!

 _Gatmuz_ was the obvious choice, as its 3100 ATK—2400, with all those damned counters on Dr. Grimm's Field Spell—was enough to at least destroy _Midrash_ , thereby allowing Yaiba to Special Summon _Faultroll_ for even more field presence. But destroying that would leave _Souza_ on the field—and _Souza_ , Masumi knew, had the option to Tribute another _X-Saber_ every turn (for instance, that _Ragigura_ he'd just Summoned) so that when it battled, _Souza_ could destroy the opposing monster, whether or not it was actually strong enough to do so on its own!

She felt elated—for the first time since learning the true stakes of this Duel, Masumi felt as though they could win.

And then—damnably—Dr. Grimm opened her mouth.

"Is that all you were going to do?" the puppet said disdainfully. "No more chains, no more effects? Honestly, I was expecting more from the likes of someone as strong as you."

"I don't need any more effects to take you down!" Yaiba shot back, as two massive portals opened either side of him. "Now come out, my monsters! Ready your blades, and—"

" _El Shaddoll Egrysta's_ effect!" interrupted Dr. Grimm. "Once per turn, if I have a _Shaddoll_ monster in my hand, I can negate your Special Summon!"

"Well, then, you've got yourself a choice to make!" Yaiba laughed at her. "Maybe it's only one Special Summon, but I'm Special Summoning more than one monster here! So make a choice—which one gets destroyed, and which one destroys your monster?"

Dr. Grimm snorted. "There is no 'which'," she said. "Since you've just as good as told me none of your monsters start any chains when they're Summoned, I don't need to make any choice at all— _El Shaddoll Egrysta_ can negate the Summon of your monsters _and_ destroy them both!"

"What?!" Masumi and Yaiba shouted in perfect unison. Both Duelists watched as the portals behind Yaiba shrank to twin points of light before winking out entirely. Masumi could have sworn both Synchro Monsters had been an instant away from leaping out of them.

 _Damn it_ , she swore. Yet again, those blasted _Shaddolls_ had singlehandedly wrecked what would have been a winning strategy. Worst of all, Masumi knew that this time, it had only happened because neither of them had fully understood _Egrysta's_ effect—either that, or they had a _lot_ to learn about the subtler rules of _Duel Monsters_ that Dr. Grimm seemed to know.

Powerful Duel Monsters with even more powerful effects … add to it, an understanding of the game that eclipsed even the top three students in LDS … all in all, Masumi had never remembered having to face such a formidable Duelist in her life—and she was including Hiiragi Yuzu.

"Pitiful." Dr. Grimm snorted again. "If you're the best that LDS has to offer, then your Lancers stand even less of a chance than I thought—and I never had that high of an opinion of them in the first place.

"Now, then," she continued before Masumi could interject. "Since I used _Egrysta's_ effect, I now send a _Shaddoll_ monster from my hand to the Graveyard—and that monster just so happens to be one _Shaddoll Snake_ ," the puppet smirked as she slotted the card into her Graveyard. "And when this _Snake_ is sent to my Graveyard by a card effect, its effect lets me return it back to my hand once every turn, if I have another _Shaddoll_ monster in my Graveyard!"

Masumi watched as the card Dr. Grimm had slipped in her Graveyard bare moments ago was just as suddenly spat back out into her hand. Already she'd realized what that card was capable of, and it didn't make things any easier.

"Oh, _yes_." Dr. Grimm was staring at Masumi so intently that the Fusion Duelist doubted there was any need for her to read her mind. "As long as I have this card in my hand, _and_ these monsters on my field, I can prevent you from Special Summoning at all, for as long as I wish. And don't forget about my Field Spell, either," she added, pointing at the ground, where Masumi was just able to notice an eighth shadow beginning to spread outward from Yaiba's _Ragigura_. "One more counter, one more sliver of ATK whittled away from your monsters … slowly but surely, until there's nothing left for you to attack with."

"She's as good as invincible," Yaiba murmured from beside her as he slipped a card into his Duel Disk, looking totally lost at how easily his Summons had been negated. "One card face-down, and I end my turn."

He sighed. "Hokuto, I _really_ hope you've got a way to deal with this, or we're sunk."

The Xyz user didn't look too convinced by the card he'd just drawn. "It'll have to do for now," he said grimly. "I Summon _Sacred Pollux_ in Attack Position!" A burly knight emerged next to him, the whole left side of its armored form covered in pure, polished white (Level 4: _ATK 1700 »_ _ **900**_ /DEF 600).

"During the turn _Pollux_ is Normal Summoned," Hokuto said, "I can Normal Summon another _Sacred_ monster this turn! So I'll Release _Pollux_ to Advance Summon _Sacred Antares_ in Defense Position!" _Pollux_ disintegrated mere moments later; then, its remains rapidly reformed into a larger, more slender figure with a scorpion-like rope dart in its hands, and a glare in its eyes that did not diminish even as the Field of the Duel took effect upon its body (Level 6: ATK 2400 » **1600** / _DEF 600_ ).

"Because _Antares_ was Normal Summoned, I can activate its effect," explained Hokuto, "and return a _Sacred_ monster in my Graveyard back to my hand! I choose to return _Sacred Giedi_!"

As Hokuto retrieved his chosen card, Masumi felt a sudden, if miniscule, surge of hope. Hokuto hadn't bothered to use any opportunity to Special Summon any monsters. That meant Dr. Grimm's _Egrysta_ had no monsters on which activate its effect, and with it, no _Shaddolls_ to send to the Graveyard, which in turn meant that everyone's monsters were essentially a hundred points higher than they might have been otherwise. It was a miniscule amount of hope, but it was still _hope_ all the same—and Masumi was very fervently hoping that those hundred points would prove the difference between victory and defeat.

Especially since _Antares_ was Level 6—and had just returned a Level 4 monster to Hokuto's hand that could increase the Level of any monster on the field by up to 2. If all went well, Masumi knew, he could bring his ace monster out on his next turn—but that was assuming Dr. Grimm gave any of them the chance to see it.

"I end my turn with that," Hokuto said. "Hotene, you're up now. It's up to you to swing this in our favor."

The tiny Duelist looked much the worse for wear. Hotene's curly hair had wilted completely; there was none of the cheer to be found on her round face and wide mouth. Masumi cursed Dr. Grimm again for consigning the young girl to such a terrible fate—though the knowledge that she had unwittingly aided the Psychic Duelist in the deed made the curse a very hollow one indeed.

Hotene swallowed, took a deep breath, and drew. "My turn!"

Masumi remembered from their Duel this afternoon that Hotene's lack of poker face was a weakness—her young age and ability to find excitement in almost anything she saw could be turned against her whenever she drew a good card. Whether Hotene had learned to correct that shortcoming, or whether she'd drawn a mediocre card just now, Masumi did not know—but the look on the little girl's face was unchanged either way, and that didn't bode well.

"First, I'll switch my _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin_ to Defense Position," Hotene said. Masumi noted how much flatter her voice sounded as _Petolphin_ shifted into a defensive stance. It lacked Hotene's usual enthusiasm; she sounded as though she was one push away from losing her nerve completely.

"An' then," Hotene went on, "I'll Summon _Noble Spirit Beast Apelio_ in Attack Position." She swiped a card on her blade; moments later, a dark red-furred cub with blazing mane and paws leapt onto the field (Level 4: _ATK 1800 »_ _ **1000**_ /DEF 200).

"Now … I'll banish my _Noble Spirit Beast Kannahawk_ an' my _Spirit Beast Tamer Elder_!" she declared.

 _Huh?!_ Masumi whirled upon Hotene with the rotational speed of a tornado. " _What are you doing?!_ " she shouted, panicking, knowing any minute that Dr. Grimm would activate that nasty effect again. But it was too late to chastise Hotene for her blunder; her two monsters were already reaching for one another—and _touching_ for only the briefest of moments.

 **"Contact Fusion!"** chanted the tiny Duelist. **"Appear!** _ **Tamed Spirit Beast Kannahawk**_ **!"**

The Fusion Duelist stood wild-eyed at the sight of the lightning-wreathed bird, rider and all, descending from the skies yet again (Level 6: ATK 1400 » **600** / _DEF 1600_ ), alighting alongside _Petolphin_. It didn't look nearly so threatening with its ATK strength as low as it was, but the fact that Hotene had Summoned it in Defense Position made Masumi aware that Hotene had done this to further protect her Life Points.

That wasn't, however, why Masumi was so surprised—her eyes had flown to Dr. Grimm, who wasn't moving at all. _She never activated Egrysta's effect_ , she realized. _Why, though—is there something about that_ Shaddoll Snake _she didn't tell us about? Maybe she's saving it for something worse … or …_

Her gaze suddenly focused on Dr. Grimm's dead green eyes. Masumi was quick to note the dark flames within them—how they blazed with malicious intent. Below that, however, was a smile that Masumi had seen once before, but never would have expected to see again on the face of this puppet—it was a smile of pure, innocent _joy_.

For some reason—though Masumi could not fathom why—seeing this monster made Dr. Grimm _happy_.

Either way, she was not about to look this gift horse in the mouth—the puppet's failure to activate her monster's effect might ultimately decide this Duel. Masumi hoped she was right.

Hotene, meanwhile, seemed to agree with her sentiment—and the fact that _Kannahawk's_ Summon hadn't been negated seemed to have cheered her up somewhat. "I activate my _Tamed Kannahawk's_ effect," she said, raising her voice, "an' return two of my banished monsters to my Graveyard! I return my _Elder_ an' my _Noble Kannahawk!_ " She ejected two cards from her Duel Disk, placing them in a different compartment. "Then, I can add a _Spirit_ Beast card from my Deck to my hand!" A third card jutted outwards from her Deck, snatched up by her stubby fingers.

"I Set one card, an' end my turn," she finished, looking much more confident than when her turn had started. "How am I doin', Masu- _chan_?" she called out.

Masumi brought herself back to reality just in time to hear the pleading note in Hotene's question, and knew that even though the little girl sounded much better, she still needed a lot more confidence to survive this Duel.

She flashed a thumbs-up. "You're doing great, Hotene!" she replied back, biting back her rebukes of how cocky the little girl had acted during her turn. "Hang in there, and you'll do just fine!"

Even as she said the words, however, Masumi felt the pit in her stomach grow deeper still. Her eyes hadn't wavered from Dr. Grimm except to look at Hotene. There was something in that puppet's eyes that she didn't like one bit—especially since they were staring intently at _another_ Fusion Duelist right now.

If Dr. Grimm hadn't looked so overjoyed to see Hotene's Fusion Summoning, Masumi would have thought that the little girl would be Dr. Grimm's first target. But the puppet had proved herself a frighteningly clever Duelist—someone of her caliber would obviously know that the most inviting target was someone without any hand or field to defend herself … someone like Masumi.

And yet … Masumi could not shake herself of the way Dr. Grimm was eyeing Hotene. Something about it was just … _wrong_. She could see the shadowy flames in those eyes, even from here—and they stank of covetous greed. Had Dr. Grimm _wanted_ Hotene to bring out her _Tamed Kannahawk_ , then? Was the thrill of watching such a rare form of Fusion Summoning the sole reason why she'd put aside using _Egrysta's_ effect this turn?

For now, though, she needed to put these thoughts aside; Shen was beginning his turn, and drawing his card.

If anyone in this Duel was in as bad a way as Masumi was, she though, it was Shen. He had no cards in his hand—worse still, all he had to his field was a Spell, a Trap, and a monster apiece. Neither of these did much to help him, unless he'd just drawn another monster. Even this, though, would be little comfort as well; Masumi had a feeling that not even Shen's Synchro Monsters had the brute strength to take out Dr. Grimm's Fusion Monsters at this point.

"I will Set one card," Shen said calmly, watching the holographic card digitize at his feet, "and I will end my turn with that."

Masumi grimaced. Shen had been having a _really_ rough time of things in this Duel, even if he was mature enough not to let it show. Having to Set a card simply because there was nothing else in his hand was not a situation most Duelists wanted to be in.

That said, he looked quite unperturbed—even _accepting_ of the situation he'd been forced into, which surprised her. Most people of Shen's age—indeed, even some who were older and wiser, would be flat-out terrified if they were in his place. She wondered if the Synchro user trusted Masumi that wholeheartedly to get him out of this jam.

Rokkaku Fuyu, meanwhile, looked almost as woebegone as Hotene had when she'd begun her turn. His eyes had refused to waver from the two Fusion Monsters Dr. Grimm controlled, even as he drew his card. Sweat ran down his face, matting the bangs that covered his left eye, and his hands were shaking so violently they appeared blurred.

"C'mon, Fuyu," Masumi urged him. "We're all here with you. We'll get us all through this together."

"She's right," Hokuto added. Both Fuyu and Masumi whirled on him, each as equally surprised as the other. "She's got us this far. If she still believes we can win—well, I'm ready to believe her, too."

Masumi could have kissed the Xyz Duelist if he wasn't a figment of her imagination. The glowing words had even more of an effect on Fuyu; though he was still sweating bullets, his hands were no longer trembling—and when he spoke, he sounded much more sure of himself than he'd been just a minute ago.

"I activate the Continuous Trap: _Celestial Aura_!" he said, revealing the card he'd Set last turn. "Once per turn, during my Main Phase or _your_ Battle Phase," he spoke to Dr. Grimm, "I can Special Summon a _tellarknight_ monster from my hand! I choose to Summon _Satellarknight Sirius_!"

The familiar form of the bluish-gray warrior burst forth from _Celestial Aura's_ digital _doppelgänger_ and next to Fuyu's _Unuk_ , doglike helm glinting in the alien light from the threads above (Level 4: _ATK 1600 »_ _ **800**_ /DEF 900). Masumi's eyes quickly flicked to Dr. Grimm, expecting her to use her Egrysta's effect once again—but once more, just like with Hotene, Dr. Grimm remained where she was.

The sneer on her face, however, was visible even from here. "That's it?" she sniffed, looking down in disapproval at the new Summon. "You're not worth wasting a card on, if _that's_ all you're able to Special Summon."

"That's where you're wrong," Fuyu said—incredibly, he was smiling despite the tense Duel. "Once per turn, if _Sirius_ is Summoned, I can target five _tellarknights_ in my Graveyard, and shuffle them all into my Deck!"

Masumi arched her eyebrows as the Xyz Duelist swiped a number of cards out of his Duel Disk and back into his Deck—Fuyu was recycling all the monsters that had been sent to the Graveyard along with _Deltatheros_ after _Special Hurricane_ had destroyed it. Better yet, if she was counting right, _Deltatheros_ was one of the five monsters that he was going to recycle—so it would be sent to the Extra Deck instead, meaning Fuyu would have a chance to Xyz Summon it again, and perhaps make better use of its effects this time.

"Finally, I can draw a card," said Fuyu as he did precisely this, "and I'll Summon it in Defense Position! Come out, _Satellarknight Sham!_ " A small figure—almost a child in comparison to _Unuk_ and _Sirius_ —stepped out of nowhere between the two warriors, brandishing a golden bow in its gloved hands (Level 4: ATK 1400 » **600** / _DEF 1800_ ).

"Once per turn, when _Sham_ is Summoned," Fuyu continued, "I can inflict 1000 damage to my opponent!"

Masumi whooped in glee, not even bothering to suppress it—she didn't care if it was only a thousand points of damage; at this point, every little bit helped.

 _Sham_ , meanwhile, had nocked an arrow on its bow, and fired it upwards a moment later—straight for Dr. Grimm. The missile flew straight and true, streaking past the neck of _Midrash_ and piercing the breast of the marionette that commanded it. There was a shriek of pain, followed swiftly by a small explosion. When the dust cleared, the Psychic Duelist's LP gauge was seen to sit at 23000—still a ludicrous amount, but anything that damaged a foe this dangerous was a morale boost for Masumi. She felt like she could kiss Fuyu this time, no matter how far apart the two Duelists were right now.

Dr. Grimm, meanwhile, ripped the arrow out from the cracked hole it had left in her hollow chest as Fuyu Set a card to end his turn. The smile had faded from the puppet's face completely, creasing into a snarl of combined pain and rage—and those dead eyes were blazing more ferociously than ever.

"All right," she said softly, almost half to herself, as she forcefully drew her next card. " _Now_ I'm mad."

Her gaze swiveled to the card in her hand for only an instant—but in that instant, Masumi had seen the way the fire in her eyes had danced upon seeing it. She knew, instinctively, that things were about to get very serious, _very_ fast.

"Since I control two or more Fusion Monsters," Dr. Grimm said coldly, "I can activate the Trap Card: _Skill Fusion_ from my hand!"

Masumi recoiled. _She activated a Trap Card without even Setting it first?!_

"This card lets me fuse monsters from the field or my hand for a Fusion Summon!" Dr. Grimm said, speaking more loudly than before. "I choose to fuse—"

"Not this time!" screamed Fuyu as he revealed the card he'd Set just last turn. "Counter Trap: _Celestial Factor_! By sending a _tellarknight_ on my field to the Graveyard, I negate the activation of your Trap and destroy it!"

Masumi pumped her fist. That was the third time the Xyz Duelist had managed to impress her in this Duel. Hokuto, meanwhile, was standing with his jaw slightly askew—as if even he himself hadn't been expecting this level of play from a Duelist he'd won entire tag-team tournaments alongside.

"I send my _Satellarknight Unuk_ to the Graveyard to negate and destroy your _Skill Fusion_ ," Fuyu cried, "and then, I can draw a card!" He did so at the same moment the slender warrior in front of him was vaporized, and Dr. Grimm slid her card into a slot in her Duel Disk.

But just as suddenly, the hideous smile was back on the puppet's face. "If you think destroying my cards is all you need to defeat me," she hissed, "you've got another thing coming.

"I activate the _other_ effect of _Skill Fusion_!" she howled. "By banishing this card from my Graveyard, I can banish monsters from the field or my _Graveyard_ for a Fusion Summon!"

Masumi's jaw dropped. _Just how many cards does this psycho's Deck_ have _to let her Fusion Summon?!_

"I banish one of my _Shaddoll Hedgehogs_ from my Graveyard—and then I'll activate the effect of my _Cursed Shadow's Snare_!" Dr. Grimm went on. "I can remove three counters from the Field to use one of your monsters for my other Fusion Material!"

 _Uh-oh_. Masumi and her friends traded looks of unease. Somehow, she knew what was coming next—and it was worrying her more than ever, because it was a monster she still knew nothing about.

Dr. Grimm, meanwhile, had focused all her attention on Fuyu. "I'm a firm believer in _quid pro quo_ ," she snarled at the Xyz Duelist. "Since you had the guts to damage me with your monster, I think it's only fair I do the same to you! So I'll use that _Sham_ of yours as my _other_ Fusion Material—and Summon the _strongest monster in my Deck!_ "

She threw out her jointed hand at _Sham_ ; as if on cue, the squirming shadows that surrounded the form of Fuyu's monster snaked up its armor without resistance. Before the young warrior could even think to fight back, the translucent black tendrils had ensnared it completely, dragging it down into the same bottomless pit that had devoured Masumi's own _Gem-Knight Master Dia_ just last night—

 **"Dark threads of the otherworld, bind the** _ **light**_ **to your will!** _ **FUSION SUMMON!"**_

Masumi felt her stomach contract as Dr. Grimm's chanting reached her ears. She knew what was coming—and it took every bit of effort she had to not lose all hope right now. She had remembered the first time she saw that monster—how just by seeing it, the sheer hopelessness of the situation had almost suffocated her.

She knew she wasn't going to face it alone this time—but would that even make a difference?

High above the Duel, meanwhile, the violet threads of the sky began to move, undulating and unraveling to form thousands upon thousands of smaller threads. They wriggled in the air for a moment, like supernatural serpents, before rushing towards a single point in the sky directly above them—

 **"Blind the foolish eyes with the brilliance of God!"** the Psychic Duelist shrieked. **"Rise now,** _ **El Shaddoll Nephilim!**_ **"**

This time, Masumi was ready for the flash of light that came from the threads connecting in midair, shielding her eyes with the crook of her elbow, steeling her legs so as to keep from falling over.

There was no preparing herself, however, for the awesome size of the Duel Monster she had seen once before. She lowered her arm, and instantly felt her legs begin to tremble as the gargantuan marionette slowly—almost regally—descended from the heavens, thousands of threads sprouting from her back like gigantic wings. The vast face of the miles-high puppet shone with all the radiance of an angel … but none of the mercy.

Masumi saw the point gauge of the terrible, beautiful monster for the first time (Level 8: _ATK 2800_ /DEF 2500), and grimaced as she realized that there was nothing in any of their Decks that could touch this creature right now. Only the strongest of her _Gem-Knights_ had the raw power to deal with that much ATK as long as Dr. Grimm's field was in play—and the odds of her successfully bringing one of _those_ out on her next turn were very slim indeed.

Around her, shocked mutters were sputtering all around her, like a storm over a rising sea. "That thing is _huge_ … " Masumi heard Yaiba murmur. Shen had bitten his lip till the blood flowed—yet another rare display of emotion. Words had completely failed Hotene and Fuyu; both Duelists were rooted to the ground, petrified.

"Masumi," Hokuto remarked, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it, "I hope you've got a way to deal with _this_."

The Fusion user had no reply.

" _Nephilim's_ effect activates when it's Special Summoned," said Dr. Grimm, "and lets me send a _Shaddoll_ monster from my Deck to the Graveyard! I send a second _Shaddoll Beast_ —then activate its effect to let me draw a card!"

Two swiped cards later: "And now," the Psychic Duelist hissed, " _Trap Card, open:_ _ **Shadow of Fusion!**_ "

Masumi took a few steps back as Dr. Grimm revealed her Set card—not from the act itself, but from how forcefully she'd done it. The puppet was practically frothing at the mouth; she looked and sounded completely demented.

"During the turn I activate _this_ card," Dr. Grimm smirked, "I can turn any attacks I make with Fusion Monsters into _direct attacks!_ "

Total pandemonium erupted among the six Duelists; each of them knew full well that Dr. Grimm had three Fusion Monsters on her field, with a combined strength of over 6000 ATK. Masumi felt that deep dark pit in her chest widen just a little more as she realized that the Psychic Duelist had been toying with them yet again.

The Fusion Duelist stood there—without a hand, without a field, without any defenses at all—knowing that she was about to lose once again … and this time, she wouldn't be losing just this Duel.

"Battle Phase!" Dr. Grimm screamed. " _El Shaddoll Midrash! El Shaddoll Egrysta!_ "

Masumi closed her eyes and bowed her head, helplessly resigned to the worst—it was all over—

"— _attack Menoko Hotene directly!_ "

 _What?!_

Masumi's head whipped upwards so quickly that her neck cricked—and her snapped her eyes open just in time to see _Egrysta's_ flaming fists unleash twin torrents of crimson fire at the precise moment that the jaws of _Midrash_ vomited a deluge of violet energy—all of it headed straight for Hotene.

 ** _"Blazing Shadowflame!"_**

The tiny Duelist didn't have a prayer. The fiery flood of the twin attacks engulfed her before she could even think to shield herself. Masumi heard a piercing scream for only a split second before the roar of the blast drowned even that out.

So appalled was she by the spectacle that Masumi felt short of breath, and thus realized she'd forgotten to breathe. Her heart was beating a deafening tattoo against her breast as she watched the fires fade away, revealing a crater the size of a car within the vandalized walls of the alley.

Hotene laid dead center in that crater, splay-legged and unconscious, bleeding from a dozen wounds. Her Duel Disk continued to emit a high-pitched squeal as final as any death knell, her LP gauge having long since plunged to zero.

It felt like hours before a shell-shocked Masumi found her voice. "Hotene, _no!_ "

She rushed towards the defeated Duelist, desperate to find out if she was still alive—but she only got three paces. All of a sudden, Masumi felt her joints lock up in mid-step, freezing her body, preventing her from moving a muscle. Confounded, she shifted her eyes downward—the only part of her body she could move—and was shocked to see a number of purple threads extending from her body, somewhere up and off to her right.

Masumi didn't even have to shift her gaze to know the source of those threads; a moment later, those threads had shifted, and she had a brief view of Dr. Grimm standing there with her right hand outstretched—before feeling a jerking sensation somewhere in the base of her spine. She yelped as her body was pulled back with it, skidding against the asphalt some twenty feet, tearing her clothes, leaving scrapes and bruises all over her skin.

Dr. Grimm, meanwhile, had dismounted from _Midrash_ , and was crossing the distance between her and Hotene with purpose in every one of her jointed steps. The threads that extended from her cone-like sleeve presently separated themselves from Masumi, writhing in midair like so many worms as Dr. Grimm continued on her way.

"Oh, don't you worry, Masumi." The Psychic Duelist spared Masumi only a brief, dispassionate glance, not even pausing in her step. "I'll make sure she gets all better—just you watch. I am a _doctor_ , after all."

She laughed; a soft, cold giggle that made Masumi's blood boil. "I pay 4000 Life Points to bring your friend to full strength," she said, barely even pausing for breath as she watched her LP gauge fall to 19000 with only a passing interest, "except … well, I'm afraid she won't be your _friend_ for much longer."

The threads began to writhe more violently now, perhaps sensing the prey that now lay before their puppet-master. "Now, I believe this is the part where I offer you the opportunity to say some last words," sighed Dr. Grimm, "but I've learned from previous experience that there is truly nothing more tiresome than last-minute _theatrics!_ "

Before Masumi could even cry out in protest, the outstretched right hand of the puppet _twitched_. In an instant, a full dozen of those threads had raced outwards from her sleeve and into the tiny Duelist's body, burrowing into her skin with no resistance whatsoever, glowing brighter than ever—

There was silence for a moment that passed by as slow as a millennium.

Then, Hotene pitched forward, and _screamed_.

Masumi felt her insides dissolve as she saw the threads infiltrate their way deeper into Hotene's body, worming into her arms and legs, squeezing her chest and constricting her neck, continuing to blaze with a fiery light that burned the Duelist from the inside out. The Fusion Duelist could smell smoke in the air; Hotene's lavender romper dress, ruined from the direct attack she had sustained only moments ago, was beginning to blacken at the edges—

" _Stop it!_ " shrieked Masumi at the top of her lungs—pleading, _begging_ for the puppet to end this inhumane torture. "Stop it, _please_ —you're _killing_ _her!_ "

"Really now, is a doctor's word good for nothing these days?" scoffed Dr. Grimm. Her eyes flashed; the threads coming from her arms became just a little bit brighter. "I already told you I'm not going to kill her—but neither am I going to _seal_ her."

The marionette smiled nastily. "I see _potential_ in this one. I may even have to schedule future _sessions_ with her."

 _Sessions?_ The single word was like a light bulb flicking on in Masumi's brain. So _that_ was why Dr. Grimm hadn't negated the Summon of Hotene's _Tamed Kannahawk_ , she thought. That was why she'd been eyeing the tiny Duelist so greedily—and maybe even why she'd attacked _her_ instead of Masumi: she'd wanted to witness her abilities of _Contact Fusion_ … a rare and powerful method of Fusion Summoning that few Duelists in the world knew how to properly use—fewer still who were as young as Hotene.

 _She'd wanted it all for herself_.

This then, must be the reason why she'd seen the face of the little girl in her dream last night, thought Masumi. Somehow, Dr. Grimm had anticipated she would try to seek Hotene out, along with Shen and Fuyu—and these, too, must have been lures, planted by the Psychic Duelist into Masumi's mind, waiting for the Fusion Duelist to form a plan to beat the nightmares that had haunted her so.

That plan had worked all too well, she now understood. _Damn it,_ she swore. _How could I have been so blind?!_

Hotene, meanwhile, was now writhing about so badly that she'd managed to fall out of the crater in the wall. Rivulets of blood streamed from the hole she'd left behind. The light from the threads that continued to inflict unimaginable pain on her body cast shadows along the innumerable repetitions of **ÆMÆTH** that lined the alley.

And all the while, she continued to scream more loudly than Masumi had ever thought a human being _could_.

"Imagine, Masumi, if you will," breathed Dr. Grimm, somehow drowning out the tortured shrieks of her young captive despite the utter calm of her silken voice. "Imagine having the ability to cross the dimensions, and to know the secrets of your leaders with a single thought. Imagine … knowing how to command them— _control_ them—with a mere sliver of your mind. Imagine your dimension coming to know ours, just as you have come to know me … because it's happening right now.

"Oh, yes," she purred, reveling in the dread Masumi was feeling. "We will be everywhere. We _are_ everywhere. We walk among you even now, in body and mind—in your streets, in your own dreams … but neither will be _yours_ for much longer. Because even as we speak, your world is being changed—one person at a time, one _mind_ at a time, slowly but surely molded like clay, never once aware that they are being remade from the inside out."

The fire in the puppet's eyes reached a crescendo, and Hotene's cries of agony grew louder still, even as her throat turned raw. " _That_ is my dream, Masumi," Dr. Grimm whispered. "It's a dream that will never, _ever_ stop for as long as I live. I'm going to keep on dreaming forever, keep on Dueling forever—because as long as there are still young, healthy, _shapeable_ minds to Duel and claim in the name of Academia … my dream will _never_ die."

Masumi was trembling head to foot. _Minds to Duel and claim ... she's talking about—_

"'Life and death, come and go: marionettes in a puppet show,'" sang Dr. Grimm, oblivious to Masumi's sudden look of nauseated realization. "'If a single string should _snap_ … tumble, tumble, _down they go_.'"

She waved her hand once, and at long last, the light of the strings died as they extracted themselves from Hotene's smoldering body. As if on cue, the tiny Duelist quickly ceased her screaming and thrashing about.

 _Too quickly_ , a corner of Masumi's mind thought—and Hotene was staying too silent for comfort. The little girl should have been coughing up a storm from how raw her throat must be right now. Smoke curled from her entire body, making it impossible to see whether she was alive or— _no_ , Masumi thought, shaking her head, _she can't be—_

Dr. Grimm now knelt before the little girl, speaking in the softest, gentlest voice Masumi had ever heard her use, even when she'd known her as Wendy. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine sitting in one of those overstuffed armchairs, lying back in bliss as the aroma of chamomile-and-ginger tea wafted in from the kitchen.

"Get up, Hotene," Dr. Grimm said. The smile on the Psychic Duelist's face was eerily calm, completely at odds with the madwoman who'd just finished torturing a girl no older than ten. "Come on, then—up you go, darling."

Masumi felt her heart leap into her throat as tiny fingers twitched on the asphalt—but just as suddenly, her heart sank back into her chest, then well into her bowels; Hotene's body was moving— _but not Hotene herself_.

As she now saw, not all of the strings that had pierced the tiny Duelist's flesh had left her. Some of them continued to stream from her hands and feet—then one more from her neck that Masumi thought looked like just one more curly hair, standing on end as though some invisible hand was plucking it out. They arced high into the sky, lost to sight almost straightaway.

Some unknown force was now making those threads _twitch_ , throbbing like the gossamer silk of a spider's web in the morning dew. Masumi's gaze now traveled downward, back to Hotene's body.

Her stomach turned over.

The smoke that had wreathed the broken body of the child prodigy had now been dispelled, revealing a nightmarish sight. Hotene was floating at eye level with the Duelists, frozen in a fetal position—suspended in midair by the same threads that had tortured her. Her purple romper dress had been repaired, the burns and tears erased as if they'd never existed at all—but the garment was far more starched and rigid—almost as though—

"There's a good girl." Dr. Grimm clapped her jointed hands together at the sight in joy—the joy of a mother watching her child walk for the first time. "Are you feeling better now, dear?"

Masumi felt sick as the figure before her uncurled into a standing position, revealing a pair of soulless blue eyes, tinged with bloody red, glowing in the dark alley like twin pits of blood. The face they were set into was pale and shiny, yet sunken and weathered; the curly blonde hair that framed it was no longer a tangled mess, but styled into an elaborate coiffure. It was no longer the face of a child, and yet it was—or at least, it _once_ was.

But what held Masumi's attention most of all was not the face, but the limbs of the _thing_ that had once been the top Junior Fusion user in LDS: an innocent girl who Dueled for the innocent pleasure of a smile … now little more than an extension of the cruel nightmare that had defeated her.

Jointed limbs flexed, stretching to their fullest extent. Weathered lip flaps creaked open—and dead, unblinking blue eyes shone with malevolent light.

"I … feel … " whispered the puppet of Menoko Hotene, "like … I … could … _smile_ … "

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that got dark and convoluted in a hurry. Poor Hotene.**

 **In case you weren't aware by now, Dr. Grimm's design was mostly based on the rider of** ** _El Shaddoll Midrash_ —with the tiniest dash of Camula from _GX_ thrown in** **. When I was planning out her character, I thought about making her look more like** ** _Nephilim_** **instead, but she came off as looking a bit** ** _too_** **cold and aloof. I wanted Dr. Grimm's 'Wendy' persona to be someone that an anime protagonist could relate to in their time of need—and thus, all the more shocking to said protagonist when she inevitably revealed her true colors. Ultimately, that was why** ** _Midrash's_** **design won out for me.**

 **Next chapter's going to be a while coming out; I still haven't finished writing the Duel itself, so I may just use this time to blow the dust off _Skyrim_ and start working on _Rain's Hand_ again. I feel like I've been letting it sit for way, way too long, and I apologize to my readers for that. Tomorrow's a new year, though - and I intend to make it a productive one.**

 **Thanks for reading! Have a happy 2016! - K**


	11. XI

XI

Masumi felt sick as she watched the puppet that had once been Hotene cross the distance between them and Dr. Grimm. Her monsters drifted along behind her, as silent as everyone else; no one dared to speak out of horror at the scene that had just unfolded before their eyes.

Forcing herself to tear her eyes away from the triumphant expression on the Psychic Duelist's face, she looked round at her remaining allies. Yaiba and Hokuto looked just as disgusted as she did; Yaiba's face looked particularly green. Shen's face was stony, and a horrified Fuyu had clapped a hand to his mouth.

"Oh, God … " The Xyz Duelist's voice was barely a squeak; he sounded very near tears indeed.

Dr. Grimm gasped as Hotene arrived before her, again as if watching her infant daughter take her very first steps. "Oh, don't you look absolutely _beautiful_ ," she gushed. The voice was so much like the kindly Wendy Masumi had spoken with over tea that the Fusion Duelist wanted to believe that this really _was_ a dream after all—but there was none of the kindness left to it anymore. The honey in her words had been poisoned; a single drop could kill … or _worse._

Dr. Grimm ran a dainty hand over puppet-Hotene's own ceramic flesh. "So flawless … so young … " she was cooing, " … mm, and so _impressionable_. I think Yuuri's going to _love_ teaching you, dear. He's one of the best Duelists Academia's ever produced—and I know that better than anyone. He taught me _everything_ I know … and yet, even _his_ mastery of Fusion doesn't compare to what _I_ know you're capable of."

She bent down on one knee, brushed aside puppet-Hotene's hair—and placed a kiss dead center on her forehead.

It was this, perhaps, that finally did it for Masumi. In that moment, she no longer cared whether she lived or died. The fear of losing everything she knew had left her body completely, blasted away from her in one fell swoop—just as Dr. Grimm had blasted away everything that made Menoko Hotene who she was. The Fusion Duelist's hands were trembling, curling into fists, the knuckles white as porcelain; her insides were burning with a raw hatred that coursed through her insides like molten metal.

"You are _vile_." Masumi's voice came out as a shaky whisper of pure rage. "Brainwashing children just so they can be your soldiers? I don't care what dimension you're from, that's _sick_."

"And how is it any different from your Lancer program?" Dr. Grimm spoke, rising to her feet. "Oh yes," she added at the surprised looks on her opponents' faces, "I knew about _that_ long before your chairwoman announced it to the world. Information like that comes with the territory of working inside the most prestigious Duel School in this dimension."

Yaiba finally found his voice. "So Academia planted you here, then," he said accusingly. "You're a _spy!_ "

"I prefer to think of it as _deep cover_ ," the Psychic Duelist said smoothly. "For a very long time, I wasn't even aware that Academia even _existed_. The Professor ordered that I was to forget everything I knew about that place, you see. He sealed away every memory I had of that institution—and then, he sent me here—to your dimension, where I was to learn the comings and goings of your school, and everyone who was a part of it.

"And the best part was," she added, a prideful look upon her face, "I didn't even _know it_."

Masumi drew back, at once surprised and scared. So Dr. Grimm had been brainwashed, too—and more than that, she seemed _aware_ of it, even _honored_ that she had been selected for this fate. That was what scared her the most—how on earth could someone be _happy_ to be indoctrinated into an army of Dueling soldiers?!

"For the next three years," Dr. Grimm continued, "I was a mindless automaton—a _Golem_ , if you will. I went to school, earned a degree, and finally—as if the Professor had already laid my path out for me—I took up a position at the Leo Duel School."

Her eyes were half-lidded, and looked wistful. "And then … something happened that made me remember who I was, and why I was here. I later realized the Professor had deliberately conditioned me to recall my memories of Academia upon that one specific event: a clash between two monsters, each one with an extraordinarily high level of Summoning energy. One was Fusion. Another was Xyz."

It took a very long moment for Dr. Grimm's words to fully sink in before Masumi knew what she was talking about.

" … Kurosaki's match against Sora," she realized, her mind flashing back to the violent events of that Duel. But that wasn't all—she'd seen images of them later on after the Maiami Championship had been canceled; they'd been Dueling in that Battle Royale—but Sora had lost in the first round of the tournament; he hadn't qualified for the Battle Royale at all!

In fact, now that she thought about it—hadn't Sora's Duel Disk looked _different_ that second time?

She gasped as it hit her. " … So Sora's with Academia as well?"

"Quite right—though for how much longer, I cannot say," Dr. Grimm said cryptically; she wasn't looking quite so happy now. "After his Duel with Kurosaki, something happened to him. His loyalty is beginning to waver. The Professor is no longer certain that he will prove as valuable an asset as he was before."

Masumi had no idea what that meant. "Who is Kurosaki?" she demanded, desperate for a change of subject. "Does he know Sora?" It certainly seemed like they'd crossed paths before, judging by the exchanges throughout their Duel—at the very least, there was some bad blood between them.

Dr. Grimm smiled. "Oh, wouldn't you like to know," she laughed. "Suffice it to say that _he's_ not from around here, _either_. Unfortunately, that story's not mine to tell. The best I can do is to show you where it all began."

"What do you mean?" Yaiba looked apprehensive.

"I'm not ashamed to admit that even my powers have limits," Dr. Grimm answered him—though the dour look that had suddenly darkened her face suggested otherwise. "They can only _manipulate_ dreams, not create them outright. First, I find a memory—a _small_ memory, one that won't be missed—and then I add to it for as much as I deem fit, altering it to better suit my needs.

Her eyes alighted upon Masumi. "And it just so happened that there was a single memory in your mind that suited them perfectly. Only a fragment, nothing your mind could remember. But it seems as though it was part of a larger set of memories that no longer exist. In its place … a _void,_ crudely filled by another memory in its place—like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, wedged in where it shouldn't be."

The Fusion Duelist was well and truly confused now. _What the hell is this psycho talking about?!_

Dr. Grimm raised her right hand. "Hmm, perhaps I ought to _show_ it to you," she said, "just as I once saw it for myself … "

And before Masumi could even think to dodge, a pair of purple threads had streaked from the conical sleeve, one zooming straight for her, another for Yaiba. There was no pain—only a brief sensation on her brow that felt like being pricked by a freezing needle, and even that had disappeared in a moment's time.

One moment after that, the scenery of the dream world began to shift around her. The colors become warmer, turning from purples, grays and blacks to various shades of orange and yellow. The crumbling buildings around Masumi were now sliding away to either side, widening the space between them; the paved surface under her feet was becoming smoother, much less worn …

* * *

She was standing on a two-way street that, again, might have been anywhere else in Maiami City. The sun was setting; there was no trace of glowing cloud-strings to be seen in the sky. Fuyu and Shen had disappeared, as had Hotene and Dr. Grimm. Only Yaiba and Hokuto remained standing next to her. Duel Monsters she recognized as their own stood between them and whoever she presumed to be their opponent.

Then, without warning, a galaxy of color and sound had quite literally erupted at their feet—and the gravelly voice of a young male began to chant.

 **"Obscured falcon! Raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity, and spread your wings of rebellion!"**

Something was rising up from within the abyss … a horribly familiar, winged form …

 **"Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4!** ** _Raid Raptors – Rise Falcon_** **!"**

Masumi's heart almost stopped then and there. _It can't be …_

But even as she took a step back in awful horror, the monster had burst out of its portal with a keening, mechanical shriek (Rank 4: _ATK 100_ /DEF 2000/ORU 3). Polished chrome tubes spread outward like so many feathers, belching flames and black clouds of exhaust from vast metal wings. The sharp claws of the monster alighted upon the asphalt, its six red eyes glaring down at the Duelists.

 _This can't be happening …_

But now a rainbow of colors had settled upon all of their monsters, and Masumi was watching awestruck as every last bit of their strength was leeched away, adding on to the power of the impossible monster. That power kept on rising, higher and higher and _higher_ than Masumi had ever believed could be possible in a Duel—until, at last, to her utter astonishment, it had finally stopped at a monumental _16,400_.

Voices of stunned disbelief echoed from Yaiba and Hokuto, but Masumi did not hear them. As the falcon soared away, ordered to deliver what she now knew was the final, explosive blow of that forgotten Duel, she had seen—for only the briefest of moments—the face of the monster's master.

 _Kurosaki Shun_.

* * *

The scene inside the third-floor hallway of the Maiami City Medical Center was a somber one. None of the eight people that milled around spoke a word to one another—there were no words that _could_ be spoken, to reassure anyone that things were going to be okay. Indeed, none of them had spoken at all since first meeting each other—in some cases, for the first time in their lives … and how they all wished it had been under happier circumstances.

Masumi's father had been the first to meet the silver-haired woman and her stocky husband in the waiting room. They hadn't bothered to introduce themselves, so stricken had they been by the news of what had happened—and what was continuing to happen, so said the doctors. They spoke of _medical mysteries_ and the _first time seeing this in their career_ —but none of that satisfied him. All he wanted to know was that his daughter and her friends would be safe.

At this, the doctors had avoided his worried gaze. _There was no way to know_ , they said. It was all they kept on saying, even as more tearful mothers and fathers came in—a short woman and a taller man with spiky brown hair that he knew to be Yaiba's parents; an old man with a waist-length beard he had never seen before, and a young couple who barely looked into their thirties, that sobbed the hardest of all—all of them demanding to know the same exact question.

 _Where is my son?!_

 _Where is my daughter?!_

Masumi's father could no longer take the stress of it all. He reached around the chest of the first person he could see, embraced them as if he'd known them for years … and cried.

* * *

The vision had been so vivid—so intense—that when it finally ended, Masumi fell backward to the ground on shaky legs. Yaiba had fared no better; his face was drenched in sweat, and he'd scrabbled against the vandalized wall of the alley faster than the Fusion user had thought possible.

"There's no way," he kept on saying, over and over again, completely out of breath. "I don't remember that happening … _never_ … "

Masumi didn't hear him. Waves of shock were still breaking upon her, numbing her body to all else in the dream. _Kurosaki_ , a voice in her head was repeating. _Kurosaki … why did Kurosaki attack us?! When did he do it?!_

The voice of Hiiragi Yuzu echoed in her ears. _Why is Kurosaki Shun listed as an LDS member … ?_

 _Why didn't I remember?_

 _…_

 _What are you talking about?_ Masumi heard herself reply back. _He's been part of our group from the start …_

 _…_

 _He was never a part of us_ , the Fusion user thought angrily. _He was our enemy he attacked us he attacked_ _ **Marco**_

…

 _Now that I think about it … where is Kurosaki from?_ Hokuto's words surfaced in her mind now, from a talk that seemed so long ago now …

 _I've never asked him_ , Yaiba had replied back, _even though we've known each other for so long …_

…

But they had never known him at all, she now understood; they'd never even met, never known why he had attacked them in the first place … all that they knew was that he had been their friend, only to discover that he had been yet another enemy …

Through it all, Dr. Grimm was laughing—a soft, icy, _evil_ laugh that gripped her by the neck and slowly crushed her throat. The Psychic Duelist was in her element, looming over the cowering forms of Masumi and Yaiba.

"And there it is," she whispered, retracting her threads from their bodies into her sleeve. " _Æmæth_ —the truth you never knew you were searching for in the first place. Do you understand it now, Masumi?"

The Fusion Duelist didn't dare look at her. She had never felt so angry—and yet, so unsure as to whom she should be angry _at_. How many more memories had been lost after that day? Masumi kept on wondering. How many more truths had been kept away from her?

 _I just_

 _don't_

 _know_

Dr. Grimm's voice snarled again in her ear; she was a jackal, circling her cornered, wounded prey—caught up in the thrill of the hunt. "Your memories, your friends—even your _precious_ Leo Duel School," she hissed. "They've _lied_ to you, Masumi. They've exploited you … _used_ you … with no thought to the future but their own _survival_."

The jackal licked its lips, and leaned in her ear. "You deserve _much_ better than that, after what they did to you."

" _Don't listen to her!_ "

The four words pierced through Masumi's despair like the first ray of sunshine after a storm. Hokuto had hardly even shouted at her—and yet his voice sounded clear as day.

"She's only trying to get inside your head!" the echo of the Xyz user kept on saying. "You're stronger than this, Masumi—block it out! _Fight it!_ "

It felt as though entire years had passed before Masumi felt the strength to stand back up. She was breathing heavily, and her head was pounding with the force of a thousand drums—but she was standing, and the Fusion user fixed Dr. Grimm with the most defiant stare she could muster.

"Tough nut to crack, aren't you?" quipped the Psychic Duelist. "But by all means, do keep trying to resist the inevitable. Better minds than yours have tried—and I know many, _many_ ways to break minds."

She suddenly snapped her jointed fingers. "Which reminds me," she said, "we still have a Duel to complete. I still have one more attack before my turn ends—and darling Hotene here shows me what she's capable of."

She gazed up at her titanic _El Shaddoll Nephilim_ , its enormous face serene amidst the carnage around it. Masumi felt a tremor of dread racing through her as she recalled the Trap Card that Dr. Grimm had activated earlier—the one that had let all her Fusion Monsters attack Hotene directly, wiping out her Life Points in the time it took to blink.

The Fusion Duelist knew firsthand the agony she had endured after that monster's attack—she would not wish it on anyone. If she'd had the option, she would take that attack in a heartbeat, now that she knew she could survive for at least one more turn.

" _El Shaddoll Nephilim_ ," Dr. Grimm trilled to her godlike monster, "attack Rokkaku Fuyu directly!"

Everyone spun in the direction of the Xyz Duelist. Fuyu had not stopped shaking ever since watching Hotene's transformation. Now, however, as he gazed upwards at the rising foot of _Nephilim_ , big as an entire stadium, he was practically convulsing in his terror.

Masumi felt a sudden urge to pull him to safety—though she knew it wouldn't do him any good. Nor would she have had the time: the moment she'd taken a single step, _Nephilim_ had planted her foot down, pulverizing everything beneath it into dust, and causing the earth to violently tremble under everyone's feet.

The shockwave that followed had unseated everyone; for the second time in as many minutes, Masumi felt herself falling down again. Stars danced in her eyes as her head hit the cracked pavement. Something warm and sticky trickled down the back of her neck.

Mercifully, Fuyu had been nowhere near the impact zone, but the damage had been done even then; he'd been thrown bodily against the heavy graffiti of the walls, almost as Hotene had been, though he had not left a bloody crater behind. Nevertheless, his body slid to the asphalt as his LP gauge dropped to a mere 1200, and he did not stir for several long moments.

"That's more like it," Dr. Grimm said with an approving nod at the scene, sliding a card from her hand into her Duel Disk. "One card face-down to end my turn.

"Now, then," she said, turning to puppet-Hotene with a greedy glint in her dead eyes, "let's not stand on ceremony anymore. Show me this power of yours, darling. Show the world what you can _really_ do."

"Of course … _Doctor_." Hotene's voice was emotionless and mechanical. Nothing of the boisterous nine-year-old Masumi knew remained inside her—there was only a manufactured obedience of her cruel mistress.

" _My turn_."

Even the way she drew her card lacked any sort of enthusiasm; Hotene's movements were smoother than before, much more controlled—too much so, Masumi thought. Whether it was more because of her new appearance or the way she was acting, the tiny Duelist no longer looked _human_ , and the effect was eerie.

"I Summon _Spirit Beast Tamer Lara_ in Defense Position," droned the marionette, her wide eyes not even blinking as the fiery-haired teenager Masumi had seen once before shimmered out of thin air and next to the growling _Apelio_ (Level 1: ATK 100/ _DEF 2000_ ).

"Then I'll activate _Noble Spirit Beast Apelio's_ effect," continued Hotene, sliding a card from one slot in her Duel Disk to another. "Once per turn, I can banish a Spirit Beast card from my Graveyard so that all my _Spirit Beast_ monsters will gain 500 ATK and DEF for the rest of this turn!"

 _Apelio_ growled even louder, its gauges rose to a considerable **_2300_** **/700**. To its right, Hotene's _Tamed Spirit Beasts Petolphin and Kannahawk_ squeaked and cawed a litany of their own, their respective point totals now measuring at **700/** ** _3300_** and **_1900_** **/2100**. Finally, to _Apelio's_ left, _Lara_ twirled its staff threateningly as a fiery aura washed over her holographic body as her own gauge rose to **600/** ** _2500_**.

None of these numbers looked like anything Masumi wanted to tangle with—especially since, considering she had no cards on her field, Hotene had enough of her monsters in Attack Position that she was well placed to wipe her out right now. Those that weren't had enough DEF to them that considering the lack of strength Masumi and her remaining allies had left to them, Hotene was as good as invincible—perhaps just as much so as Dr. Grimm herself.

And yet … somehow, a part of Masumi knew that there was still more to come.

"You're going to _love_ this next one, _Masu-chan_ ," Hotene whispered, her face creasing in a childish sneer as she uttered the nickname—before suddenly splitting apart in that shark's smile Masumi had seen her wear once before. Even then, that smirk had looked scary on the face of someone so young. On a puppet—it was flat-out _terrifying_.

"I banish my _Noble Spirit Beast Apelio_ and my _Spirit Beast Tamer Lara_!" the tiny Duelist screamed, clasping her hands together as Apelio's paw reached out for Lara's hand—and just like before, they _touched_.

 **"Now, when the bond between man and beast is at its strongest,"** chanted Hotene, **"the blazing inferno will be united with the burning hearts of our prime!"**

As the blinding flash of illumination filled Masumi's vision, a deafening bellow echoed throughout the alley. The Fusion user could feel the earth beneath her vibrating under the footfalls of the monster she knew was coming.

 **"** ** _Contact Fusion!_** **"** Hotene yelled. **"Appear!** ** _Tamed Spirit Beast Apelio!_** **"**

When _Apelio_ did come, it arrived with a mighty leap to its mistress' side that made its agility inside the _Gravity Sixteen_ Action Field look like baby steps (Level 6: _ATK 2600 »_ _ **3100**_ /DEF 400 » **900** ). It seemed even bigger than it had back then, too—whether that was because of the nature of Masumi's dream, or the potency of the power Dr. Grimm was using to control her, Masumi could not tell; either way, it stood roughly as tall as several of the buildings that lined this alley.

The Psychic Duelist next to Hotene, meanwhile, had a look on her face that Masumi could only describe as giddy joy. "Oh, marvelous—simply _marvelous_!" Dr. Grimm was gushing. The palms of her jointed hands _clack-clacked_ together in a macabre sort of applause. "You're going to fit right in at your new school—why, you'll be right up there with the best of Academia before the year's end, if you keep on impressing me like this!"

"In fact," she continued, smirking, "you've impressed me _so much_ that I think you deserve a special _treat_ for this, my dear. Would you mind terribly if I borrowed one of your monsters before I give it to you?"

"Of course not, Doctor," Hotene quickly replied, shaking her head mechanically and augmenting Masumi's dislike of Dr. Grimm further still.

"Marvelous," Dr. Grimm said once more. "Quick-Play Spell: _El Shaddoll Fusion_!" she cried out, revealing the card Masumi realized she'd Set only minutes ago. "By activating this card, I can fuse monsters on my field or my hand for a Fusion Summon! I choose to fuse my _El Shaddoll Midrash_ with Hotene's _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin_!"

"Say what?!" Masumi's jaw was sagging. "But I thought you needed to remove counters from that damned Field Spell of yours to do that!"

"No." Much to Masumi's surprise, it was not Dr. Grimm who had spoken just now, but _Fuyu,_ and Masumi rounded upon the Xyz Duelist in even greater shock than before.

"Battle Royale rules," Fuyu told her softly, as though hoping he couldn't be heard. "If you've got an ally, you can use any monsters on their field to Summon monsters of your own—Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz. Hokuto-san and I did that all the time—our monsters have a lot in common with one another." He shrank back, seeing the stunned look on Masumi's face. "If … if you hadn't noticed by now … "

"Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings … and Xyz Duelists, as it happens," remarked Dr. Grimm. "What a strange world we live in. Regardless, the boy speaks the truth—my _Cursed Shadow's Snare_ can only use my _opponent's_ monsters as Fusion Materials. Since Hotene's no longer my opponent, I can use her monsters as Fusion Material whenever she wants!"

She cleared her throat. "Now then, where was I? Oh, yes—"

She clicked her jointed fingers; almost as if on cue, another vortex of light and shadow had erupted over her head, sucking in both _Midrash_ and _Petolphin_ as their roars and squeaks echoed one last time. From the depths of the churning funnel came a gust of shrieking wind so intense that Masumi found it hard to stay on her own two feet.

 **"Dark master of the otherworld,"** Dr. Grimm was chanting, **"bind the** ** _winds_** **to your will!"**

The wind and the light reached a crescendo, and this time Masumi really did fall back to the ground from the force of the gale. She gazed up into the whirling tunnel of energy, biting her lip at the swirling form in that shadowy pit.

 **"** ** _Fusion Summon!_** **Let those who bear witness scream in infinite despair! Rise now,** ** _El Shaddoll Wendigo_** **!"**

Something broad and tapered shot forth from the tornado of light; it swirled once around the two puppets before finally coming to rest in between them. The shadows surrounding the newest _El Shaddoll's_ form now fell away, and Masumi gasped at what lay behind: a purple puppet roughly the size of a car—and _exactly_ the same size and shape as _Tamed Spirit Beast Petolphin_ (Level 6: ATK 200/ _DEF 2800_ ).

Yaiba and Fuyu recoiled as the dolphin-marionette uttered a horrid, heavily distorted squeaking noise, revealing dozens of needle-sharp teeth in its narrow, smiling mouth. Its smile, however, could not be compared with Hotene's; the puppet's eyes were shining in wonderment as the Duel Monster swam around her, purple strings trailing in its wake like miniature contrails.

"Is that … for _me_ , Doctor?" she whispered, reaching out a jointed hand to stroke _Wendigo's_ porcelain skin.

"It certainly is," Dr. Grimm answered her. "Not many boys and girls your age can say they've had _Duel Monsters_ cards created specifically for them, now, can they?" Her smile widened as she extended an inviting hand at the monster. "Go on, then—climb on! You've earned this for being such a _good girl_ tonight."

The tiny Duelist scrambled her way onto _Wendigo's_ back so quickly that for a moment, Masumi wished that that _had_ been Hotene, and not merely some imitation of the genuine article.

" _El Shaddoll Midrash's_ final effect," Dr. Grimm was saying in the meantime. "Whenever a card effect would send it to the Graveyard, I can target a _Shaddoll_ Spell or Trap Card in my Graveyard, and add it to my hand."

No sooner had that card slid out of Dr. Grimm's Duel Disk and into her hand than Hotene had sprang into action. "Now that that's done, I'll switch my _Tamed Spirit Beast Kannahawk_ to Attack Position!" she smirked, watching the winged beast spread its wings in an attack stance. "Battle Phase! _Tamed Kannahawk_ , attack _XX-Saber Ragigura_!"

The lightning-wreathed hawk flapped its wings once in obedience, zooming straight for the reptilian monster. There was a second blinding flash, a sizzling noise, and when both had disappeared, so had Yaiba's _Ragigura_. Luckily, the Synchro user had had the foresight to place it in Defense Position, so his LP remained where they stood.

Perhaps even more luckily—though she was using the term very loosely under the circumstances, Masumi knew she was safe now—at least until Hotene's next turn. Had the tiny Duelist attacked her with _Kannahawk_ , she might well be facing certain defeat right now. Even so, this was no small comfort to Masumi, who felt more exposed now than she had at any point during this Duel.

"And now, my _Tamed Apelio_!" Hotene's shark-smile was back, and wider than ever. "Just in case Masu- _chan_ forgot what you can do— _attack her Life Points directly!_ "

Masumi did indeed know—not that it would have mattered much. _Apelio_ wasn't affected by card effects when it attacked, as she'd learned the hard way, but this time, she didn't have any cards to affect it.

All she could do was brace herself as the flaming monster bounded right for the Fusion user. Seconds later, it bulled into her with the force of a bus, letting loose a deafening bellow as it did so. Masumi did her best to ignore the pain as she skidded along the asphalt and up against the vandalized wall. Flakes of chipped paint rained down upon her as her LP gauge dwindled to 1400.

"Masumi!" She didn't know who had cried out her name, but neither did it really matter. As she attempted to get to her feet, a scene had met her eyes that made her forget about the pain of the attack—about almost all else save the Duel and the fate that awaited their physical forms if they lost. Masumi stared, frozen, at what was happening to Shijima Hokuto.

The echo of the Xyz Duelist was beginning to fade in and out; already Masumi could see through his body. He was less than flesh and blood, but more than a mere ghost, and was rapidly flickering between both extremes. Hokuto was clenching his teeth in obvious discomfort, and was breathing shallowly and heavily as though he'd run a race.

Impulsively, Masumi leapt to him, intending to grasp his hand to steady him, but her fingers simply passed through Hokuto's skin. Fortunately, though, this seemed to give Hokuto the strength he needed, and after a few long moments, he'd assumed his former consistency, though he still continued to take deep breaths.

"That … that was … " he gulped. "I wouldn't take any more hits like that if I were you, Masumi. I'd hate to have to leave you alone when you need me the most."

The Fusion Duelist smiled warmly at him, but said nothing further; the look she exchanged with Hokuto told him she would have done the same in his place. Soon after, though, the reality of the situation caught up with Masumi; within moments, she was beginning to wonder if she'd be able to last much longer.

As she stared at what remained of her Life Points, though, she belatedly realized that Hotene had made an error just now—a very minor one, to be fair, but an error all the same. _Tamed Apelio's_ effect prevented _all_ effects from affecting it while it attacked—including the ATK and DEF gain _Noble Apelio_ had granted it earlier this turn.

Dr. Grimm had noticed this oddity as well, evidently, and her dead green eyes had alighted upon Hotene with an inquisitive stare. "Very impressive, darling," the Psychic Duelist commented, "but you had a chance there to finish Masumi off, even with one less monster to hand. Why didn't you take it?"

Hotene, for once, did not immediately respond to her mistress' query. "I don't know, Doctor," she answered. "I just … felt like I could do better than that. You told me I should show the whole world how strong a Duelist I _really_ am—and I want Masu- _chan_ to be the first one to see," she added, sneering at Masumi and glaring at her with her reddened eyes.

The Fusion Duelist listened to the exchange between the two marionettes with no small amount of confusion—and trepidation as well. Was Hotene implying that she was capable of doing _more_ than summoning three different monsters via Contact Fusion? Had she spared Masumi out of wanting to make Dr. Grimm proud of her—before putting Masumi out of her misery?

Either way, Dr. Grimm did not seem to mind much. "I understand," she said sweetly. "I'm very touched that you want to impress me so much, Hotene—and for that, I'm proud of you."

The smile from the puppet's face faded a little, and her voice became slightly sterner. "But the next time you have a golden opportunity like that—please be a dear and _take it_ , won't you?"

"Of course, Doctor." Masumi had never dreamed that such a little girl could wear such a venomous smile. "By the time I end my next turn, Masu- _chan_ will be _all yours_."

She threw out her stubby hand. "Trap Card, open: _Ambushed Spirit Beasts_! I can target two _Spirit Beasts_ that are either banished or in my Graveyard, and Special Summon them both in Defense Position! I'll bring back my _Noble Spirit Beast Apelio_ , and my _Spirit Beast Tamer Lara_!" The two monsters she'd fused bare moments ago ejected themselves from her Disk and back onto its blade, while their holographic forms returned in twin swirls of light and shadow (Level 4: ATK 1800 » **2300** / _DEF 200 »_ _ **700**_ ; Level 1: ATK 100 » **600** / _DEF 2000 »_ _ **2500**_ ).

Masumi bit her lip, but wasn't terribly perturbed; even if Hotene pulled off another Contact Fusion, she'd already conducted her Battle Phase—whatever she Summoned wouldn't be able to attack this turn. For now, she was safe.

"I Set one card to end my turn," the tiny puppet finished, sliding a card into her Duel Disk. "My _Noble Apelio's_ effect now ends, and the ATK and DEF of my monsters all return to normal."

Yaiba exhaled as he watched the gauges of each Spirit Beast reassume their normal values. "Well, Masumi," he muttered, "I'm using the term lightly—but believe it or not, things just got _easier_ for us."

"Huh?!" Masumi failed to see how her friend had come to that conclusion—their situation hadn't been _worse!_

"Not by much," Yaiba added, "but enough that it might matter. Dr. Grimm used her _Midrash_ as a Fusion Material, remember? It's not on the field anymore—that means we can Special Summon again!"

Masumi took a look around and realized he was right—but she wasn't confident. "Don't get too excited, Yaiba," she told him. "She's got at least one more of those—the last Duel I had with her, she used one _Midrash_ to Fusion Summon another." There was still that _Egrysta_ to deal with as well, she knew—and the way things were going, it wouldn't be getting destroyed any time soon.

The Synchro Duelist grimaced at the news. "Well, at least she doesn't have any Spells or Traps in her back row now," he commented, "so she won't be able to Summon _Midrash_ again until her next turn. That could give us the opportunity we need."

He turned to Masumi. "Just focus on keeping your LP from reaching zero for right now," he said. "I don't much like the idea, but it sounds like Dr. Grimm wants to save you for last." He laid a hand on Masumi's shoulder. "Leave the rest to us, okay?"

It was a bitter pill to swallow, but somehow Masumi suspected Yaiba was right. The longer she could keep herself alive in this Duel—the longer everyone else could do the same. She nodded, and turned to her Duel Disk.

"My turn!" she shouted, drawing her next card— _please be a monster_ , she thought, _please be something I can use to defend myself_ —turning it over … and grinned. It was far from perfect, but it would suit her needs, at least for now.

"I Summon _Gem-Knight Emeral_ in Defense Position!" she cried, watching the sea-green armored knight appear before her, raising the serrated discs on both his wrists with a grunt (Level 4: ATK 1800 » **1100** / _DEF 800_ ).

"Then, I'll activate the effect of the _Gem-Knight Fusion_ in my Graveyard," Masumi continued, "and banish a _Gem-Knight_ from my Graveyard to add it back into my hand! I'll banish my second _Obsidia_!"

Seconds later, her favorite card was back in its rightful place. She would not use it—not yet, not until the time was right. The Fusion user knew full well that if she was to get any use out of it, then she would need to draw one more monster—but more importantly, she needed her _Emeral_ to survive past Hotene's next turn.

"I end my turn with that," she finished with a slow exhale. "It's up to you, Yaiba. Whatever you've got planned, I hope it works."

"I've got something that might help," the Synchro Duelist muttered, "but if I don't draw a monster now, it won't matter one bit. My turn!" he hollered, drawing his card with a flourish—

—and he promptly broke out into an even bigger grin than Masumi's. "Nice—this ought to get rid of a little more pressure!" he said triumphantly. "Since I don't control any monsters—and since I've got at least two _X-Sabers_ in my Graveyard—I can Special Summon _XX-Saber Gardestrike_ from my hand!"

A large, wolf-like creature surged onto Yaiba's field—twice as tall as him and at least twice that many times broad—and threw back its scarlet cape to reveal a jagged, moon-shaped blade on its right arm (Level 5: _ATK 2100 »_ _ **1400**_ /DEF 1400).

"But I'm not done yet," said Yaiba, revealing the card he'd Set. "Trap activate: _At One with the Sword!_ If I control only one _X-Saber_ monster, I can equip this card to that monster—and have it gain 800 ATK!"

The serrated half-circle on _Gardestrike's_ arm began to glow, while its ATK grew to 2200. "Then—whenever that monster destroys another monster by battle," the Synchro user went on, "I can draw a card—and it just so happens that you gave me plenty of targets to choose from, Hotene!"

Masumi's eyes whipped to the tiny Duelist and her monsters, realizing that Yaiba was right—Hotene had three monsters whose ATK and DEF just barely didn't match up with _Gardestrike's_ ATK. Since only one of them was in Attack Position, though, Masumi thought she had a good idea of which one Yaiba was going to attack.

True to her suspicions: "Battle Phase!" the Synchro Duelist yelled. " _XX-Saber Gardestrike_ , attack _Tamed Spirit Beast Kannahawk_!" The wolf lunged forward with a screeching growl, its wide blade ready to cleave whatever stood in its way—

" _El Shaddoll Wendigo's_ effect!" screamed Dr. Grimm. "Once per turn, I can target a monster I control so that it can't be destroyed by battle with a Special Summoned monster! Since Hotene is my ally, I target her _Kannahawk_!"

The dolphin-puppet swooped in faster than Masumi would have believed possible; in the time it took to blink, it had positioned itself between _Kannahawk_ and the blade of _Gardestrike_. That blade glanced harmlessly off the ceramic skin of _Wendigo_ , and the shockwave from the deflected attack rippled throughout the alley.

Even as Masumi swore at the fact that Dr. Grimm had prevented them from gaining an advantage yet again, though, she knew the attack had not completely failed. Since _Kannahawk's_ ATK was lower than _Gardestrike's_ , Hotene would still take damage from the attack even if her monster hadn't been destroyed in the process. Sure enough, the tiny Duelist—ruffled, dirtied, but no less worse for wear—was seen now to sit at a still-respectable 3200 LP.

"Never let it be said that I don't mean the best for my students," Dr. Grimm said serenely as she surveyed the aftermath of the assault, "prospective or otherwise."

In spite of the setback, being able to inflict damage had seemed to satisfy Yaiba. He wiped his brow while sliding in a final card. "I Set one card and end my turn," he panted, watching his _Gardestrike's_ ATK now return to a daunting 2900—an ATK value that, unless something was done very soon, he wouldn't be able to use in its entirety.

Hokuto, meanwhile, placed his fingers on the top card of his Deck with one of the calmest expressions that Masumi had ever seen on his face. She couldn't fathom how the Xyz user—even if he wasn't real—couldn't possibly feel apprehensive about how much trouble they were in.

He inhaled … exhaled … and drew. "My turn!"

Hokuto glanced at the card for the tiniest moment, frowning, before he acted. "I Summon _Sacred Kaust_ in Attack Position!" he cried, and the silver-armored centaur was back, golden bow at the ready (Level 4: _ATK 1800 »_ _ **1100**_ /DEF 700).

"Next, I activate _Kaust's_ effect," said Hokuto, "to raise or lower a monster's Level by 1 up to twice per turn! I'll target my _Sacred Antares_ to _lower_ its level by 1—and then, I'll do it again!" _Kaust_ fired two arrows simultaneously into the air, showering _Antares_ in sparks and making its Level drop to 4.

Masumi was confused. She was about ready to wonder if Hokuto was about to Xyz Summon another _Pleiades_ —or even his ace monster—but then she remembered Dr. Grimm's _Egrysta_. _Hokuto must be trying to bait her out_ , she thought, _make her waste that monster's effect on a less important Special Summon_.

"Now," Hokuto grinned, "I use my Level 4 _Sacred Kaust_ and _Sacred Antares_ to construct the Overlay Network!" Both monsters glowed with yellow light, shrinking into points as they fell into the yawning galaxy beneath them.

 **"The hopes and wishes of millions clustered together,"** chanted Hokuto, **"now, manifest from their brilliance and descend!"**

 **"Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Immaculate guardian of the stars!** ** _Sacred Omega!_** **"**

The monster that leapt from the portal and directly in front of Hokuto could only be described as a leaner, meaner, and more heavily-armored _Kaust_ (Rank 4: _ATK 2400 »_ _ **1700**_ /DEF 500/ORU 2). Gold-plated hooves pawed the ground, and a spotless cape billowed behinds its broad shoulders as the centaur-like monster brandished a shining, multi-bladed chakram at its foes.

"Once per turn," Hokuto continued, "my _Star Sign of the Sacred_ lets me draw a card when I Xyz Summon a monster!" He did so immediately; Masumi thought she noticed a small smile when he'd seen the card he'd drawn.

"Now for _Sacred Omega's_ effect!" he yelled, as one of the orbiting yellow spheres around _Omega_ dissolved into nothingness. "Once per turn, by detaching an Overlay Unit, all _Sacred_ monsters I control cannot be affected by Spell or Trap effects for the rest of this turn—including the Field itself!"

 _Ooh—now that's a_ very _good effect_ , Masumi thought. Not only did this return _Omega's_ ATK to its original 2400, but it would also protect it from being used as a Fusion Material—and possibly even from whatever card Hotene had Set a few turns back.

"Now for my face-down card! Trap activate: _Sacred Meteor_!" The Xyz user was in his element. "Battle Phase! _Sacred Omega_ —attack _El Shaddoll Wendigo_!"

As Omega charged for the dolphin-puppet, chakram in hand, a confused Masumi wondered why Hokuto would do such a thing—even with _Omega's_ effect protecting it from Dr. Grimm's Field Spell, its ATK was still not enough to defeat _Wendigo_.

Then she remembered that Trap—and pumped her fist in joy; she'd seen him use it in his Duels before—she knew what he was going to do!

The chakram connected with _Wendigo's_ skull—nearly unseating Hotene from its back—but the monster held fast, while the shockwave from the failed attack pushed Omega back into Hokuto, his LP now at 3600.

But just like Masumi, he was grinning. " _Sacred Meteor's_ effect," he said, staring down Dr. Grimm with a triumphant look on his face. "If a _Sacred_ monster battled in the turn it was activated, and the monster it attacked wasn't destroyed, it's shuffled into the Deck at the end of the turn!"

The ceramic face of the Psychic Duelist contorted in fury, to Masumi's immense satisfaction. "You're just as annoying as the other one," she growled with a withering look in Fuyu's direction. "Even in death, you Xyz slime can never resist the urge to have the last laugh."

"Shut up!" Masumi screamed. She would not believe that … not in a million years … Hokuto couldn't possibly be _dead_ …

"He might as well be," Dr. Grimm sneered in savage pleasure, seemingly having read Masumi's mind yet again. "Even Academia can't reverse the process that sealed him into a card—not that we're looking to try," she added nastily before looking at Hokuto. "I don't know how you managed to worm your way into _my_ dream, but I do _not_ take kindly to uninvited guests. You'd better hope I don't get my hands on your card when I'm done with Masumi."

"You never invited me in the first place," Hokuto shot back. "Masumi did all that. She's stronger than you think!"

He threw out his hand. "It's still my turn—and I'm going to show you why there's no one better at Xyz Summoning than Shijima Hokuto! I construct the Overlay Network _again_ —and this time, I'm going to Overlay my _Sacred Omega_!"

Masumi whirled around. _He's going to bring_ that monster _out?!_ Sure enough, the gilded centaur had been consumed by a flash of blinding gold within seconds, sailing into a second galaxy at Hokuto's feet while he recited:

 **"Rain down your dazzling light!** ** _Xyz Summon_** **! Rank** ** _6_** **!** ** _Sacred Ptolemy Messiers 7_** **!"**

Hokuto's ace monster burst from the portal with a deafening roar (Rank 6: ATK 2700/ _DEF 2000_ /ORU 2), dropping alongside its master with an earthshaking THUD. The mechanical dragon crouched over Hokuto, and its massive wings—shining with all the brilliance of the cosmos beyond—draped over him, protecting him from whatever might harm him in the turns to come.

But something was bothering Masumi about this. "Why Summon that now?" she wanted to know. "I would've thought you'd attack _Wendigo_ with that and cause less damage to your Life Points!"

"I couldn't risk that puppet destroying my ace with that damned _Egrysta_ of hers," replied Hokuto. "And even if I'd Summoned it then, _Wendigo_ would've just kept it from being destroyed by battle. The way I saw things, that dolphin needed to go more than _Egrysta_ did—it's probably the most threatening monster she has on her field."

"I am not so sure," commented Shen. "I believe the saying goes: 'better the devil you know than the devil you do not'? I do not believe that we have seen the full power of her _other_ monster."

He was gazing upwards at the daunting _Nephilim_ ; Masumi was surprised to see that the Synchro user looked uneasy.

"Do you think you can take it down, Shen?" Yaiba, too, was looking at the gigantic Duel Monster, biting his lip until the blood flowed.

"We will see about that," was all that Shen could say.

Hokuto considered this for a moment, before nodding and slipping a card into his Duel Disk. "All right. Then I activate the Spell Card: _Super-Rebirth of the Sacred_! I can target two _Sacred_ monsters in my Graveyard, and add them to my hand!"

Once he'd done so: "Then I Set one card, and end my turn with that. Due to _Sacred Meteor's_ effect," the Xyz user said to Dr. Grimm, "your _Wendigo_ is now shuffled into the Deck."

 _Wendigo_ faded from the field as the scowling Psychic Duelist replaced it back into her Extra Deck, while its tiny rider dropped to the ground and returned to her mistress' side.

"Two monsters down," Hokuto sighed, "two more to go. Think you can make it three, Shen?"

The Synchro Duelist said nothing, only drawing his card. Masumi thought he saw a spark in his eye as he saw what it was, but showed no further sign of recognition.

"I will Summon the Tuner monster _Jiaotu, Dracomet of Darkness_ in Defense Position," he said, watching the translucent dark dragon curl around him protectively (Level 2: ATK 0/ _DEF 2000_ ).

"Now, Battle Phase." Shen gestured to his other monster. " _Bi'an, Dracomet of Earth_ , attack _El Shaddoll Nephilim_."

 _What?!_

"Shen, that's suicide!" Masumi howled at him—what the hell was he _thinking,_ going up against that titan with a monster that wasn't even half as strong?!

She watched in horror as the golden-brown dragon soared into the air … but _Nephilim_ was more than ready for it … the gigantic monster was already raising a hand as big as a city block … it was going to swat the monster away …

"Trap activate: _Dracomet Rampage_!" roared Shen at that precise moment, finally showing the card he'd Set on his previous turn. "If one of my _Dracomet_ monsters attacks an opponent's monster, then my monster's original ATK and DEF are doubled until the end of the attack!"

Masumi's heart rose as she did the math. She remembered that _Bi'an's_ ATK was 1600— _so 3200, then take away 700 because of Cursed Shadow's Snare … and then add 500 ATK for his_ Dracomet Leyline!

"YES!" She whooped in delight even before _Bi'an's_ ATK had shifted to 3000. The translucent dragon opened its mouth, ready to release a devastating burst of energy—

—only to be backhanded right out of the sky by _Nephilim_.

In less than a second, Masumi felt her delight turn into dismay as the dragon was propelled out of sight, careening into another section of the ruined Maiami City. Clouds of dust and sounds of destruction arose far off in the distance, and the Fusion user heard the crumbling of multiple buildings that had been demolished in the impact.

" _El Shaddoll Nephilim's_ other effect." Dr. Grimm's voice was soft and cold as a nuclear winter; her emerald eyes were glittering with malice. "Any Special Summoned monster that battles it is _immediately_ destroyed."

 _Damn it_. Masumi swiped the air, at once furious and despondent. Not only was her monster safe, but Dr. Grimm wouldn't take any damage from the attack as well because of the timing of _Nephilim's_ effect. _Just what is it going to take to beat these Shaddolls?!_

No one, however, looked more disappointed than Shen, who looked thoroughly chastened even as he ejected a card from his Deck. "Since _Bi'an_ was destroyed by a card effect, I may activate its effect, and Special Summon another _Dracomet_ monster from my Deck in Defense Position. I will Summon _Taotie, Dracomet of Evil_."

He slapped the card in question on his Disk, and the familiar shape of the larger, darker dragon materialized before him (Level 5: ATK 2200 » **1500** / _DEF 0_ ). It, too, wrapped its translucent bulk around Shen protectively.

"I am wise to your ways, _demon_ ," he called out to Dr. Grimm, gesturing at her towering monsters as he did so, "and I shall not be lured into making the same mistake twice!" Masumi knew he was referring to how he'd Summoned both his Synchro Monsters in his first turn, only to lose them to a single Spell. "So I will end my turn with that."

He sighed, and slumped. When he spoke, his voice was softer than Masumi had ever heard it. "I will freely admit that I made a grave mistake," he growled, more to himself than anyone else—though Masumi could still hear him over the rumbling noises that still echoed from where his _Bi'an_ had been so ignominiously cast down. "I am … grateful that my _sifu_ was not here to see me act as recklessly as I have this Duel."

"Don't sweat it, Shen—we're only human," Yaiba said consolingly. "And if it makes you feel better," he added with a wry grin, "you can apologize to him in the morning. Of course, that still means we've got to _wake up_ —and for that, we've got to _win_."

He cast a meaningful look at Masumi, who grit her teeth. At this point, she was starting to wonder if they'd ever see the morning again. _How long have we been here?_ Masumi wondered. _How long have we been in this coma?_

An icy sensation suddenly gripped at her heart. _Does Father even know where I am—what's happened to me?!_

"My t-turn." Rokkaku Fuyu, meanwhile, was gripping the card he'd just drawn so tightly that it was beginning to crease in the middle. Seeing _Nephilim_ dispatch Shen's monster so easily and violently had shaken him severely; he shivered, gulped, and took several deep breaths before he next spoke.

"I activate my _Celestial Aura's_ effect," he said, "and Special Summon another _Satellarknight Sham_ from my hand in Defense Position!" A second young warrior, identical to the one Masumi had seen once before, shimmered to life by his side (Level 4: ATK 1400 » **700** / _DEF 1800_ ).

 _So he's going to inflict more damage_ , thought Masumi. Simply burning away Dr. Grimm's LP through card effects was about the only plan of attack they had with even the slightest chance of surviving her _Shaddolls_ —the only problem was that, as things stood right now, it just wasn't causing near enough damage to be effective.

"Since _Sham_ was Summoned, I activate its effect," Fuyu continued, "and I'll inflict 1000 damage to your Life Points!" He stabbed a finger in Dr. Grimm's direction as _Sham_ nocked another arrow, firing it right for her head—

"Counter Trap: _Damage Polarizer!_ " Hotene shrieked. Six heads instantly swiveled in her direction, including Dr. Grimm's—one look at the Psychic Duelist's porcelain face told Masumi that even she hadn't been expecting this.

" _Damage Polarizer_ negates any effect that inflicts damage," explained the tiny marionette, sneering at Fuyu, "and when it does, each player draws a card!" A sphere of energy radiated outward from her, rapidly expanding throughout the alley. _Sham's_ arrow was deflected by the shield, and harmlessly streaked away from the Duel.

Though Masumi cursed yet again at how Fuyu had been outplayed by Hotene, things weren't completely bad; she was able to draw a card now, and her spirits rose upon seeing what that card was—a _Gem-Knight_.

She bit her lip, hoping against hope she would survive long enough to play it.

Fuyu, in sharp contrast, looked as though that one Counter Trap had taken all the wind out of his sails; he did not even look at the card he'd drawn. " … I-I end my turn," he stammered.

Masumi could practically hear the Xyz user's heart sinking as the words tumbled out of his mouth. She could not blame him in the slightest. Fuyu had been their last chance to get rid of Dr. Grimm's monsters before her next turn.

They'd failed.

* * *

Dr. Grimm laughed, long and loud, as she inspected the card she'd recently drawn, then added it to her hand without comment. "What a shame," she said contemptuously. "Just like that, you've lost all trace of backbone. You can't even Summon one more monster because you're scared something bad's going to happen to it. One little thing goes wrong, and it all comes crashing down."

She leered at Fuyu. "But don't you worry about a thing—I'll make sure to _fix_ that before I'm done with you."

Now she turned to Hotene. "That was a very generous thing you did for me," she said softly, stroking her cheek. "I never ordered you to protect your superior, yet you did so all the same. It always warms my heart to know that my students have such _loyalty_ to their professors." She patted her affectionately on her porcelain head.

"It was because you protected me, Doctor," spoke the mechanical voice of the marionette, looking up at the Psychic Duelist with gratitude in her red eyes. "That's what soldiers do, isn't it? They're supposed to look out for each other when they fight."

"That's _absolutely_ right, darling," beamed Dr. Grimm. "Such a quick study—I'm so glad I've gotten to _know you_ tonight—"

"NO!"

Masumi was so angry that it was a few moments before she realized the shout that echoed through the alley was her own. She gave Dr. Grimm a long look of utmost revulsion, before turning to the puppet's companion.

"Hotene … tell me something," she pleaded, desperation in every word. " … Are you _still_ having fun?"

The tiny Duelist cackled, not even pausing to reply. "Of _course_ I am!" she laughed. "I've Fusion Summoned more times than I ever have in a single Duel! And you haven't seen _half_ of what I can do, Masu- _chan_."

Her hand covered her mouth as she giggled—then it was pulled back, and the shark-smile was back on her face. "But you know the _funny_ thing about this, Masu- _chan_?" she smirked. "I never would have had this much _fun_ if it wasn't for _you_." She laughed again, not at all like her usual cutesy chortle—but a savage, cruel cackle that made Masumi's blood run cold. The Fusion user felt her hands balling into fists; her knuckles were white and beginning to numb as her hatred for the Psychic Duelist continued to grow.

"Well, you'll have another chance to have even _more_ fun soon enough," said Dr. Grimm as she drew another card, "but for now, it's _my turn_." Her green eyes glowed with unholy light as she gazed at it, and instinctively Masumi knew what was going to happen before it did.

"I activate the Spell Card: _Shaddoll Fusion_ —and with it, my _Cursed Shadow's Snare_!" she screeched, reaching out with her jointed hand while seven shadows spread out from each monster that opposed her. "Since one of my opponents controls an monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck," she added, indicating the massive form of Hokuto's _Messiers 7_ , "I can fuse monsters in my _Deck_ as well as on either side of the field for this Fusion Summon!"

Masumi bit her lip, feeling her heart begin to thunder against her ribcage.

"I remove three counters from my _Snare_ ," said Dr. Grimm as seven shadows now turned into four, "and then I'll fuse a second _Shaddoll Lizard_ in my Deck with that _Taotie, Dracomet of Evil_!"

Shen's monster squawked in pain as that quartet of shadows now tightened around its undulating form, crushing it with impunity, then dragging it into the abyss that had opened beneath it. As Masumi watched, a fifth shadow with a vaguely reptilian form streaked from where the Psychic Duelist stood, following _Taotie_ into the abyss—

 **"Fusion Summon!"** chanted Dr. Grimm. **"Rise now,** ** _El Shaddoll Midrash_** **!"**

The vast whirlwind of color and shadow bloomed above her, disgorging the now-familiar sight of the dragon-puppet Masumi had grown to hate almost as much as she did its master (Level 5: _ATK 2200_ /DEF 800). Dr. Grimm herself reappeared atop its back in a flash of violet fire, smirking down at the Duelists below.

" _Shaddoll Lizard's_ effect," she continued, ejecting another card from her Deck. "Once per turn, whenever a card effect sends it to the Graveyard, I can send another _Shaddoll_ card from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send another _Shaddoll Hedgehog_ , and then activate _its_ effect to add a _Shaddoll_ card from my Deck to my hand."

She suddenly brought a hand to her mouth, as if she'd forgotten something, before looking down at Hotene dotingly. "But of course," she purred. "You've displayed so much power and loyalty to me that I think you deserve this, dear. Give me command of one of your monsters," she smiled, "and I'll give you command over one of _mine_."

"Of course, Doctor," Hotene immediately answered her, the scarlet light in her eyes shining with excitement.

Satisfied with the reply, Dr. Grimm now turned back to her foes. "Now, then … the Quick-Play Spell: El Shaddoll Fusion!" she cried, swiping another card on her blade. "I fuse the _Shaddoll Snake_ in my hand with Hotene's _Tamed Spirit Beast Kannahawk_ for a second Fusion Summon!"

A long, sinuous tendril of shadow uncoiled from Dr. Grimm's hand, hissing as it wrapped around _Kannahawk's_ wings, binding it tight and pulling it into the abyss that had suddenly appeared in the sky.

 **"** ** _Fusion Summon_** **!"** Dr. Grimm recited again. **"Rise now,** ** _El Shaddoll Wendigo_** **!"**

Masumi swallowed in dread as the dolphin-puppet appeared once more (Level 6: ATK 200/ _DEF 2800_ ), swooping down for Hotene so that the tiny puppet could mount it once again. The strings that trailed from Wendigo's fins now hoisted it upwards, rider and all, until they were level with _Dr. Grimm_ and her _Midrash_.

"Do you like the view, Hotene?" Masumi heard Dr. Grimm say. "It's fitting, that we should be the ones standing here, so high above all the rest. You and I, masters of Fusion Summoning—masters of all before us, casting our shadow on the _unworthy."_

Hotene wordlessly nodded, just enough for Masumi to see it. She was completely enraptured now—if Dr. Grimm had not completely brainwashed her already, then she was well on her way; Masumi hoped dearly that it wasn't too late for her.

"And speaking of casting our _shadow_ … " Dr. Grimm's smile stretched wider than ever—wider than any human mouth ought to be. "I now activate the effect of the _Shadow of Fusion_ in my Graveyard!"

 _What?!_ Masumi felt a chill running down her spine—she'd almost forgotten about that devastating card.

"Once per turn, I can banish this card from my Graveyard," Dr. Grimm continued, "and during the turn I do, any attacks I make with Fusion Monsters become _direct attacks!_ "

 _No …_ Masumi sank to the ground, now feeling more hopeless than ever. _Not again …_

"BATTLE PHASE!" shrieked the Psychic Duelist, foaming at the mouth as she stabbed her finger downward. " _El Shaddoll Midrash! El Shaddoll Egrysta!_ Attack Li Shen directly! **_Blazing Shadowflame!_** "

Masumi charged for the doomed Synchro user as she watched the two monsters charge their attacks—she wanted so badly to knock him out of the way so that he could survive—she didn't care about dying, she didn't want to lose any more of her friends to this _psychopath—_

She only managed three paces before Yaiba caught her. "No, Masumi— _you're going to get yourself killed!_ " he howled, but her ears weren't listening to anything they heard anymore. She fought and clawed at Yaiba to get free even as she watched Shen engulfed in the inferno. The Synchro user's LP gauge dropped to 0 faster than a lead weight—and then that, too, was consumed in the hellfire.

Masumi did not hear Dr. Grimm declare her next attack; before the flames had even begun to dispel from Shen's body, _Nephilim_ had raised its gargantuan foot again, casting a shadow over a deathly white Rokkaku Fuyu—and then he, too, had vanished in the brutal onslaught of the _Shaddolls_. The earth heaved and rolled, toppling nearby buildings and cracking roads throughout the city. The Fusion user only saw the barest glimpse out of the corner of her eye of Fuyu's LP counter plunging to zero as well.

Yaiba must have released her then, as Masumi suddenly felt herself stumble to the wrecked pavement, her hands caked in blood and pulverized debris. But she no longer paid attention to her surroundings, nor the LP gauge of Dr. Grimm falling from 19000 to 11000 as she prepared to repeat her torturous transformations; Masumi was too busy raging at the loss of two more friends she'd only just made today. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her face was incandescent with childish anger.

 _Damn you_ , she thought—or had she spoken the words out loud? She was too angry to care either way, and kept on cursing Dr. Grimm for what felt like hours.

Then she saw a slender, feminine form walking towards them—and her rage finally boiled over. With a wordless scream of fury that nearly ripped her throat in half, Masumi shoved Yaiba aside and sped for the Psychic Duelist, hellbent on punching and kicking and tearing into her with all the strength she could muster—

Dr. Grimm raised her right hand, and more glowing threads spooled from her sleeve and around Masumi, binding her so tightly that she couldn't even move a finger. She swore at the top of her lungs, and—having no other way to hurt her—spat in Dr. Grimm's maddeningly serene face.

The marionette didn't even blink as she wiped the saliva off her face with a jointed finger. "I think you need a time-out," she whispered harshly—before jerking her hand and sending Masumi crashing into the wall once more. Pain seared in her shoulders and her spine as she cried out, feeling an unpleasant metallic taste creep into her throat.

Another twitch of Dr. Grimm's hand sent the threads snaking back into her sleeve, and she now turned to Fuyu and Shen. The Fusion Duelist feebly stirred, and could only just see their bodies lying splayed on the ground. Shen did not appear to be injured, but neither was he moving; Fuyu lay facedown and similarly motionless, with several of his limbs sticking up at odd angles thanks to _Nephilim's_ attack.

Dr. Grimm now raised both her hands this time; even more threads streamed from her fingertips, slicing through the air and straight for the fallen Duelists—

Several things happened at that moment. Shen suddenly sprang to his feet with a flip, landing with catlike grace on the ravaged road. In the same fluid movement—just as the threads would have burrowed into his skin—Shen had _twisted_ his torso so that his free hand had _grabbed_ the threads some five inches from the glowing tips, and _pulled_ with all of his might, causing Dr. Grimm to stumble—and the threads heading for Fuyu to miss him completely.

For a moment, as Masumi gazed in open-mouthed shock, her anger completely forgotten, it seemed as though Shen had won—but only seconds later, Dr. Grimm had waved her arms, severing the threads from her sleeve in one movement. In the next, those threads had coiled around Shen like snakes, binding him even tighter than they had Masumi.

The Fusion user stared, horrorstruck, at the sudden reversal. Shen was completely motionless, but his dark eyes were unmistakably staring at Masumi. He nodded in her direction once—as if to say: _It's up to you now_.

Then, Dr. Grimm struck.

Shen did not scream when the threads dug inside his skin, pouring the psychic equivalent of tens of thousands of volts into his flesh. But the shocks were so intense that even the stoic Synchro Duelist was violently convulsing within seconds. His clothes curled and blackened with smoke under the onslaught of energy.

"And now you see why I implanted _this_ one's face into your mind, Masumi," Dr. Grimm spoke as she continued her torture. "Such agility and strength—and determination, even. No one has ever resisted me quite the same way _he_ has. His efforts were admirable—but futile nonetheless."

Masumi's hackles raised again, and the puppet grinned. "I think I'll have Academia hire him on as a _trainer,"_ she said. "The whole of the Obelisk Force ought to possess _half_ of his strength and fortitude."

She whipped her hands to one side, detaching her strings from the body of the former Li Shen, though they remained coiling and hissing in midair as if desperate to seek out a new target.

Masumi felt bile rise in her throat, meanwhile, as she saw a _second_ purple-skinned puppet—nearly identical to the Synchro user, but for starched robes of navy and black as opposed to his flowing orange and white—rise into the air, buoyed by the few strings that supported him. One more wave of Dr. Grimm's hand, and the thing that had once been Shen had taken up a position directly under Hotene and her dolphin steed.

"Oh, no … " Yaiba, normally tough and brash as any boy his age might be, now looked as though the mere sight of his former friend and practice partner had made him lose the will to live. "Oh, no, no, no … "

Masumi took several steps backward. Shen's eyes had been dark before, but now they were nothing more than twin pits of darkness. Combined with the grim look on his ceramic face, he looked even more evil than Dr. Grimm did—a thought not helped by the shadowy form of his _Jiaotu_ slithering round his body.

The Psychic Duelist, meanwhile, turned to the still-insensate Fuyu with the faintest trace of distaste on her face. She said nothing as she regarded him for the next few seconds—before snapping her fingers and digging her threads into the defeated Xyz user without so much as a warning.

The effect was immediate. As Masumi looked on, nauseated, Fuyu pitched forward in a horrible scream as the electric shocks entered his body, louder and shriller than Hotene's during her own time of torture. He writhed everywhere on the ground, smearing blood from a dozen wounds all over the place.

" _More_ ," growled the Psychic Duelist—and before the sickened Masumi could stop her, Dr. Grimm had made a motion like tossing a heavy weight over her shoulder. Her threads went with that movement—and so did Fuyu, bodily thrown into the air some thirty or forty feet, still being electrocuted … before being yanked straight down.

"Rise and _shine!_ " snarled Dr. Grimm, pulling on the threads with all her might. Masumi's heart stopped; she could do nothing save for watching Fuyu get hurled into the pavement with all the force of a piledriver.

She barely stifled a wail as the impact came, having clapped both her hands to her mouth just in time; if this had been real life, that fall would have been fatal—to say nothing of the torment Dr. Grimm had already been putting him through. But now the threads were retreating back into the marionette's sleeve, which could only mean that the evil deed had been done a third time …

And sure enough, when the dust from the impact had cleared, Masumi saw yet more strings rising up into the air—all of which supported a bone-thin marionette, every inch of its body a pale purplish-gray save for its face, now the approximate color and thinness of a skull …

The single visible eye of Rokkaku Fuyu's puppet gleamed blood-red from under his starched, pale imitation of hair as he glared at the terrified Duelists opposite him. Masumi had seen Fuyu look angry before in this dream—but what she was seeing on the ceramic face of this puppet was not something so childish as fear.

It was _rage_ —a rage that eclipsed even her anger at Dr. Grimm.

As puppet-Fuyu, his _Sirius,_ and his _Sham_ now took up a position to the right of puppet-Shen—directly under Dr. Grimm—the Psychic Duelist now returned to her former place, between the wings of her _Midrash_.

"I think this is a more _even_ fight now, wouldn't you agree?" she laughed. "Six-against-one has now become three-against-four … just as I knew how this would end from the beginning.

"And as predicted, Masumi," she gloated, "you became the perfect recruiter for my goals. You followed the orders I implanted in your mind to the letter—and delivered me three soldiers of Academia, each with a promising future. Menoko Hotene—a Fusion user like none other in all the Standard Dimension; Li Shen—a man whose strength and loyalty will serve our soldiers well in the battles to come; and Rokkaku Fuyu—a boy so _broken_ by the loss of the only friend he had, that even a _cadet_ could have converted him to our cause."

She giggled; Masumi felt as if acid was eating her from the inside out.

"Well—this is a familiar scene, isn't it?" Dr. Grimm now said, looking around the alley as if seeing it for the first time. "If I remember your memories correctly, this is how you first lost to Kurosaki Shun. The three of you … against a foe you now know that you have no chance of winning against at all."

"You're wrong," Hokuto growled. "Until you've wiped out our last Life Point, we can still win!"

Masumi wanted to know what in the world was making Hokuto so hopeful about making it out of this nightmare. Was he that confident in Masumi's abilities?

"Your bravery is to be admired," said Dr. Grimm smoothly, "but it's long past time to bring this Duel to a close."

The Psychic Duelist extended her hands. "Students!" she trilled. "Class is in session!"

Three ceramic faces snapped upwards in unison.

"Make your teacher proud." Dr. Grimm's eyes blazed with sickly green energy—and fixed themselves directly on Masumi. " _Crush them all_."

Three ceramic faces split into evil smiles.

* * *

 **A/N: That's yet another mountain of words I've had to end up splitting in two parts. I'm starting to wonder if writing this Duel (and this story by extension) is shortening my lifespan, with how much time and energy I've put into it at this point.**

 **Fortunately, the other half of that mountain is roughly half done. I'm almost certain that I'll have it out by month's end. Thanks for being patient, and thanks for reading! - K**


	12. XII

XII

Hotene's puppet wasted no time in being the first to carry out Dr. Grimm's wishes.

"My turn!" she shrieked, drawing her card with a furious flourish. Without bothering to look at it, she threw out a jointed arm. "I activate my _Noble Spirit Beast Apelio's_ effect," she cried, "and banish a _Spirit Beast_ card from my Graveyard to give all my _Spirit Beast_ monsters an extra 500 ATK and DEF until the end of my turn!

"And then," she sneered, looking Masumi directly in the eye as scarlet flames wreathed every single one of her monsters, "I'm going to show you just how good at Fusion I _really_ am, Masu- _chan_!" The sheer amount of venom in the little girl's voice made Masumi back away out of instinct. "I banish my _Noble Spirit Beast Apelio_ , my _Spirit Beast Tamer Lara_ — _and_ my _Tamed Spirit Beast Apelio_!"

Masumi was flabbergasted as she watched the monsters in question slowly approach one another, stretching out hands, paws, and claws alike. _She's banishing_ three _monsters this time—and one of them's a Fusion Monster, too!_

She gulped. _This is bad_.

 **"When the bond between man and beast surpasses its strength,"** recited Hotene, **"let the blazing inferno and the burning hearts of our prime be united with the courage of our allies!"**

Masumi raised a hand to her eyes as she saw the three monsters touch one another very slightly—grasping hands and paws before being consumed in a light more blinding than any she'd ever experienced before—

 **"** ** _TRIPLE CONTACT FUSION!_** **Appear, my strongest servant!** ** _Tamed Spirit Beast Gaiapelio!_** **"**

Heavy footfalls shook the earth, like a dozen elephants jumping up and down at the same time. Masumi lowered her arm from her eyes—and felt her whole body go slack at the unthinkable monster Hotene had Summoned: a lion-like beast the size of a small house, with black, multi-bladed horns ablaze in fire, a spiky, sunflower-like mane, and an entire forest grove supported upon its broad, white-armored back (Level 10: _ATK 3200 »_ _ **3700**_ /DEF 2100 » **2600** ).

Masumi took one look at that monster and was instantly grateful she'd Summoned her _Emeral_ in Defense Position—otherwise, she wouldn't have nearly enough LP to absorb a hit like that. But she'd hoped to have kept that monster a little bit longer—maybe if she drew a third monster next turn, she might be able to pull something off.

Dr. Grimm, meanwhile, looked utterly ecstatic. It was evident that even she had not expected this incredible feat of Summoning. Words had failed her completely, and her dead eyes almost looked as if they were swimming in tears of joy—almost.

" _Battle Phase!_ " Hotene screeched from atop _Wendigo_ —eye-level with her ace monster. " _Tamed Spirit Beast Gaiapelio_ —attack _Gem-Knight Emeral_!" The great beast lunged forward with the speed of a freight train, baying loudly and lowering its head—it was going to physically ram Masumi to kingdom come—

…

 _CLANG_.

…

The sound came from so close to Masumi—barely inches away from her skull, it sounded like—that she'd opened her eyes out of instinct, and several long moments had passed by before her eyes began to make sense of what she was seeing.

The Fusion user saw the scarlet cape fluttering in front of her face, the half-moon blade held high above her head—the only force standing between it and the rampaging assault of _Gaiapelio_ —

 _Gardestrike?!_

Masumi whirled round at Yaiba, wondering if he'd chosen to intercept the attack with his monster—before finally seeing the card on his field.

"Trap activate: _Saber Deflect_!" he snarled. The Synchro Duelist's teeth were bared, and his bamboo _shinai_ was in his free hand and brandished right for Dr. Grimm.

"If I control an _X-Saber_ monster when an opponent's monster attacks," he said, "I can target one of my opponent's monsters—and direct that attack right at it!"

Masumi would have kissed Yaiba then and there if she wasn't so stunned by what had just happened. _Not only did he save me … but he's actually going to force_ Gaiapelio _to attack another monster?!_

"I've got just the monster in mind," he smirked, fixing the beam of his eye on Dr. Grimm. "And in case you're tempted to use that damned effect of your _Wendigo_ on whatever monster I end up choosing, you can forget about it. _Saber Deflect's_ effect can't be chained by any other effects—so you've got nowhere to go but _down!_ I'm changing _Gaiapelio's_ attack target … to your _El Shaddoll Midrash_!"

Dr. Grimm's eyes widened right as _Gardestrike_ gave a mighty heave. Masumi gazed in awe as the wolf-like warrior gave a mighty roar of exertion, physically hurling _Gaiapelio_ away from Masumi with the strength of a fallen angel. Hotene's ace monster stumbled across the field, roaring in surprise at the sudden resistance—and promptly careened into _Midrash_ milliseconds after Dr. Grimm had dismounted from her monster. The dragon-puppet shrieked as one of _Gaiapelio's_ horns impaled it through the stomach, crumpling a wing and sending both monsters crashing into a nearby building.

When the dust settled, Masumi cheered when she saw the broken body of _Midrash_ dissolving into nothingness—and cheered louder still when she saw Dr. Grimm clambering to her feet, her puppet body scuffled and cracked in a number of places, and her LP now sitting at 9500.

Yaiba looked even more cheerful than she did, if that was possible—though he also appeared quite weary. " _Saber Deflect's_ final effect," he panted. "During the End Phase of the turn I activated this card, I target one _X-Saber_ I control, and shuffle it into my Deck."

Masumi swallowed. For one more turn, at least, Yaiba had saved her life—but it had come at the heavy price of an empty field. "You shouldn't have put yourself in this kind of danger," she said to him, feeling her voice crack—whether from gratitude or grief, she did not know. "All you did was make yourself a sitting duck."

"Better you than me," Yaiba said vehemently. "I'd rather live as another one of Dr. Grimm's puppets than live with knowing that I was the one who left you to die."

It felt as though the bitter cold of the dream had been dispelled; Masumi felt a sudden warmness expand in her chest at Yaiba's vow. Before either of them knew what she'd done, she'd walked right up to Yaiba—and embraced him.

For that all-too-brief eternity, Masumi didn't care that the Synchro Duelist was spluttering in surprise against her; nor did she care about the Duel, or the near-certain doom that awaited her at its end. For that one moment, every worry and fear she'd carried since the Maiami Championship had melted away … and Koutsu Masumi felt _free_.

It felt like another eternity before she could bring herself back to reality, and step away from Yaiba; the Synchro user had gone rigid and red in the face over what she had just done. Words seemed to have failed him completely.

"Was … was that part of the dream, too?" he managed to say.

Masumi smiled wryly at him— _leave it to Yaiba to think about something so trivial in the face of death_ , she thought—but didn't answer. Instead, she turned back to the Duel, just in time to hear Hotene's shrill voice.

"I'm sorry, Doctor!" the tiny puppet wailed. Out of everyone in this alley, no one looked more shocked than she did over what her monster had done. "I didn't mean to—it was _that card_ that did it!"

"I don't blame you, Hotene," growled the Psychic Duelist, although she looked desperate to find _someone_ to blame. Her voice sounded muffled; she might have been grinding her teeth, had her puppet body any teeth in her mouth to grind. "It was an honest mistake, and it will _not happen again_ , am I _understood_?"

Hotene stared at the seething marionette for a moment before nodding mechanically. "Yes, Doctor. It will not happen again," she repeated, before slipping a card into her Duel Disk. "I Set one card, and end my turn."

One face-down card appeared on the field, while two face- _up_ cards left it; Masumi caught only a single final glance of _Gardestrike_ before Yaiba shuffled it into his Deck, then sliding _At One with the Sword_ into his Graveyard.

Shen now stepped forward, and drew his card with enough force to send gusts of freezing wind throughout the alley. He checked the card in his hand—and his dark eyes instantly glittered with a light that made Masumi step back.

"Do not despair, Doctor," he said calmly. "There is _some_ good fortune in losing your dragon. Were it still on the field, I would not be able to show my _true_ strength right now. That strength may not lie in Fusion Summoning, as yours does"—his eyes narrowed, giving Yaiba a look of pure venom—"but it will be enough to make that _mewling boy_ think _twice_ before harming you again."

True _strength?_ "Yaiba … what did he mean by that?" Masumi asked, worried. Hugging her friend suddenly felt so long ago now.

Her friend had no reply; he, too, was staring at Shen with an uneasy look on his face.

"First, I will activate a second _Dracomet Path_ ," Shen said. "I will target three _Dracomet_ monsters in my Graveyard, shuffle them into my Deck, and then draw two cards. After several long moments of swiping cards here and there, he drew a pair of cards, took one look at them—and _smiled_.

 _Now_ Masumi was scared. Shen had had his moments of emotion before—but she had never seen him smile even once before. Had Dr. Grimm's corruption poisoned her victims that much, that it rewrote their personalities completely?

"Since I control no other monsters, I may activate the effect of _Jiaotu, Dracomet of Darkness_ ," Shen continued, that smile still on his face. "I will send _Pulao, Dracomet of Wind_ and _Suanni, Dracomet of Fire_ from my hand to the Graveyard—and then, since one monster has 0 ATK, and the other 0 DEF, I will Special Summon a second copy of each from my Deck!"

Two monsters now swirled from out of thin air and onto the field, either side of _Jiaotu_ ; Masumi recognized the green, sinuous body of _Pulao_ (Level 1: ATK 0/ _DEF 1800_ ) alongside the scarlet, leonine figure of _Suanni_ (Level 4: _ATK 1900_ /DEF 0).

"Finally," Shen went on, "I will Summon _Bixi, Dracomet of Water_ in Defense Position!" This, too, Masumi recognized from her earlier Duel atop _Floating Cloud Fortress_ ; the blue, turtle-like dragon soared up from behind Shen and growling viciously (Level 2: ATK 0/ _DEF 2000_ ).

The sheer number of monsters on the field that Shen had Summoned in such a short time surprised her—and one of them, Masumi knew, was a Tuner monster. _Is he going to_ —

"Now," rumbled Shen, "I Tune my Level 4 _Suanni_ … my Level 2 _Bixi_ … _and_ my Level 1 _Pulao_ with my Level 2 _Jiaotu_!"

"No way … " Yaiba was awestruck as all four of Shen's monsters rose into the sky, _Jiaotu_ in the lead; the shadowy dragon glowed with a bright green color and split into two telltale rings of light:

 **"Divine phantom of heaven and earth,"** recited Shen. **"Descend from your throne of stars, and bestow a new light upon your domain!"**

Lightning struck the field as all three remaining monsters became seven different points of light, aligned in perfect formation inside the rings of _Jiaotu_ —and something was coming down with that lightning … something _big_.

 **"** ** _Synchro Summon!_** **"** Shen bellowed. **"The father of all dragons!** **Level 9!** ** _Chaofeng, Dracomet of Phantoms!_** **"**

The monster that emerged from the stream of energy was not so much _big_ as it was _long_ ; easily a hundred feet long or more in length, even—with every inch of it clad in shimmering scales of every color Masumi could imagine: aquamarine and emerald along its back from head to tail, deep blood red along the underbelly—with a fringe of bright, deep gold in between. Four enormous feathered wings kept it aloft, a vivid crest adorned its eagle-like head, and a vast tail swished left and right with enough force to stir up miniature tornadoes in the dust (Level 9: _ATK 2800_ /DEF 2200).

Masumi found it so difficult to tear her eyes from the captivating beauty of the Duel Monster that she almost didn't notice Yaiba backing away. "What is it?" she asked, noticing how worried he suddenly looked.

"I always had this funny feeling … that Shen was holding back on me, every time we practiced together," murmured Yaiba. "But I never knew he had anything like _this_ in his Deck!"

The Fusion user gaped. "You're saying this is the first time you've ever seen him Summon that monster?!"

Yaiba nodded. "Yeah. So I have no idea what the hell this thing does … but it's going to hurt, Masumi," he said, gulping. "It's going to hurt a _lot_."

"Not nearly as much as she has hurt _you_ , Toudou Yaiba," Shen shot back at them. "She has done nothing but betray us all from the moment she met us!"

The words felt like knives as they buried themselves into Masumi's flesh, and then into her mind. She felt her fists beginning to tighten again.

"Don't listen to it," Hokuto kept on saying, kept on trying to reassure her. "That's only Dr. Grimm talking—they don't mean what they're saying at all!"

"ENOUGH!" thundered Shen. "When _Suanni_ is used as a Synchro Material, any monster it is used to Synchro Summon will gain 500 ATK and DEF. Furthermore, when _Pulao_ and _Bixi_ are used as Synchro Materials, any monster they are used to Synchro Summon becomes unaffected by _any and all effects_ of Spell _and_ Trap Cards!"

 _Chaofeng_ roared as its body became engulfed in a veritable rainbow of auras, while its point gauge rose to a massive **3300/2700**.

"You may also recall that my _Dracomet Leyline_ gains effects depending on the number of different Attributes belonging to the _Dracomet_ monsters in my Graveyard," Shen continued. "Two Attributes will grant my _Dracomet_ monsters an extra amount of ATK and DEF. _Four_ Attributes, however, will not only prevent you from Setting monsters—but every monster you control is switched to face-up Attack Position as well!"

Yaiba gulped; even though he had no monsters to switch, it could not have been plainer that he was feeling quite defenseless at the moment. Masumi and Hokuto, meanwhile, grimaced as one as they both switched their respective monsters— _Gem-Knight Emeral_ and _Sacred Ptolemy Messiers 7_ —into Attack Position.

"Battle Phase!" roared Shen. " _Chaofeng, Dracomet of Phantoms_ —attack Toudou Yaiba directly!" The vast dragon rushed for a suddenly dry-mouthed Yaiba, and began to circle high above him, its four wings slicing through the air like massive swords. Faster and faster it whirled, its revolutions becoming more dizzying by the second. Within moments, gale-force winds buffeted the alley, and Masumi had to drop to one knee to avoid being blown away.

 **"** ** _Phantom God Storm_** **!"**

Before Masumi could blink, a bolt of lightning had crashed down where Yaiba had been standing, blinding her. So loud was the blast of thunder that came with it that she neither heard the Synchro Duelist's scream of pain nor his _smack_ into the wall—for Masumi, one moment, it felt as though the world had ended; the next, she'd opened her eyes to see Yaiba spread-eagled in the graffiti, his blood mixing with the chipped paint he'd been thrown against. He was not moving.

But Masumi, despite her horror, knew he wasn't defeated—a quick look at his LP gauge showed it at a scant 700. He had survived, at least for this turn—but Masumi would feel much better once he'd gotten back on his feet. At least Shen hadn't chosen to attack her monster—why that was, she didn't know. Unless she was mistaken, doing so would have ended the Duel—and her life.

She stared at Dr. Grimm. _She's just toying with us at this point_ , she understood. _She knows she's got us backed into a corner … so she wants to finish me off herself. She wants to make sure that I have absolutely no chance of being rescued before she does the deed with her own monsters_.

Her thoughts were dispelled as she saw Yaiba begin to stir from the crater _Chaofeng_ had blasted him into. Masumi immediately ran to his side, grabbing him by his arm and carefully extricating him from the wreckage so as not to cause him any more harm than he'd already been through.

"Thanks," Yaiba was just barely able to say. "Told you … it was going to hurt … " He sank to one knee, breathing heavily for a few moments, before collapsing prone upon the asphalt—still conscious, but completely spent.

A triumphant Shen folded his jointed arms, surveying the scene with the closest thing to pleasure a puppet's face could reproduce. "I will end my turn with that."

" _Excellent_." Of all of Dr. Grimm's puppets, Fuyu terrified Masumi the most. As he drew his card with a flourish, the Xyz user's voice had morphed into a gravelly—almost feral—growl in sharp contrast to his raspy whisper. His single red eye was fixed like a laser on Hokuto.

"I activate my _Celestial Aura's_ effect," he snarled, "and Special Summon _Satellarknight Rigel_ from my hand in Attack Position!" He slapped a card onto his blade with such force that it made Masumi wince; moments later, a burly human covered head to toe in blue, gold, and silver armor had appeared to the left of his _Satellarknight Sirius_ , swishing its jeweled cape and brandishing a short blade in an attack stance (Level 4: _ATK 1900_ /DEF 700).

" _Satellarknight Rigel's_ effect activates when it's Summoned," added Fuyu, "and lets me target a _tellarknight_ monster I control to give it 500 ATK—so I'll use that target on itself!" As _Rigel_ pointed its sword right at Hokuto, the weapon began to glow with sapphire energy, and extended to roughly twice its length—its ATK now at 2400.

"Next, I Normal Summon _Satellarknight Procyon_ —also in Attack Position!" he cried, as a smaller figure that Masumi remembered seeing in their previous Duel rose up to the right of his _Sham_ (Level 4: _ATK 1300_ /DEF 1200).

Now he had _four_ monsters, the Fusion Duelist noted—all with the same Level—which made her all but certain he was going to perform an Xyz Summon this turn. And if Hotene and Shen had been any indication, Masumi had a strong suspicion that this one might be more powerful than any she'd yet seen from him.

" _Procyon's_ effect activates when it's Summoned as well," Fuyu explained while his jointed fingers transferred some of his cards from one place to another, "and lets me send a _tellarknight_ monster in my hand to the Graveyard so that I can draw a card!"

He did so, and grinned when he saw it, sliding it into his Duel Disk almost instantly. "Next, the Quick-Play Spell: _Starcrossed Satellarknights_!" he yelled. "By targeting a _tellarknight_ monster I control, I can Special Summon another _tellarknight_ monster from my Deck by shuffling that target into the Deck—and I target my _Satellarknight Sham_ to Special Summon _Satellarknight Capella_ in Defense Position!" _Sham's_ armored form faded from view soon after—but was almost instantly replaced by another, bigger monster: a silver-gold warrior who appeared as though he'd been encased inside a chariot-like device from the legs down (Level 4: ATK 1100/ _DEF 2000_ ).

Fuyu smirked. " _Satellarknight Capella's_ effect activates when it's Summoned, too"—he paused here, apparently for dramatic effect—"and lets me treat any and all _tellarknight_ monsters I control as Level _5_ monsters!"

" _Level five?!_ " Masumi's jaw went slack as _Capella_ clasped its hands together, its gilded palms glowing with golden brilliance. Ribbons of light extended from its fingers as it spread its arms outward in a rapid flourish, connecting those ribbons to all of Fuyu's monsters like so many reins to horses, and—as an awestruck Masumi now saw—increasing their Levels by one apiece as bright yellow lightning snaked along their lengths.

"Four Level 5 monsters … " she murmured—even Hokuto had never pulled off an Xyz Summon with that many Materials! She quickly glanced at the Xyz Duelist; Hokuto was eyeing his counterpart with an apprehensive look upon his shimmering face.

"Now, using my Level 5 _Satellarknights Rigel_ , _Sirius_ , _Procyon_ , and _Capella_ ," Fuyu growled, indicating each one with the same sweep of his hand, "I construct the Overlay Network!" All four monsters hurtled upwards into the sky, transformed into orbs of golden energy that were quickly lost to sight among the illumination given off by the cloud-threads above the Duel.

Then, an enormous galaxy of light, sound, and darkness erupted above them—releasing a deluge of lightning and thunder so blinding, so deafening, that it almost drowned Fuyu's chanting out completely:

 **"Invincible might of the skies, whose holy light was gifted by the stars who witnessed its birth, dispel the gathering darkness** ** _once and for all!_** **"**

A pair of silver-gold wings—each the size of a house, studded with millions of stars—suddenly unfolded inside the maelstrom of lightning, while the shadow of a dragon-like head began to emerge—

 **"** ** _Xyz Summon!_** **"** roared Fuyu. **"** **The brightest servant of the heavens!** **Rank** ** _5_** **!** ** _Stellarknight Sacred Dia!_** **"**

Masumi could not resist a gasp as the monster within finally revealed itself in full with a deafening, roaring shriek—so loud that it simultaneously dispelled the lightning and shattered the few remaining nearby windows that had yet survived this Duel. The armored dragon looked almost identical to Hokuto's _Messiers 7_ , even with its point gauge (Rank 5: _ATK 2700_ /DEF 2000/ORU 4), although its gleaming armor appeared to outshine even that creature.

The ace monsters of both Xyz Duelists were now roaring threateningly at one another, functionally identical—each desperate to establish dominance over their counterpart. Masumi felt a chill race down her spine—she could almost _feel_ the hatred that Fuyu was giving off as he stared at Hokuto; his mind had been almost completely rewritten.

For the umpteenth time, she cursed Dr. Grimm—long past caring that it wouldn't do any good right now.

" _Stellarknight Sacred Dia's_ effect," Fuyu was saying in the meantime, a triumphant sneer on his porcelain face. "While it has Overlay Units, no Duelist can send any cards from their Deck to their Graveyard—and any card that returns from the Graveyard to the hand is banished _immediately_!"

 _Damn it_. Masumi could feel her heart sinking more and more with each passing word. Fuyu had effectively sealed off her entire strategy by Summoning that one monster. Her _Gem-Knight Fusion_ was effectively useless now; she'd only be able to use it a single time before it was out of her reach—and even then, she knew full well that Dr. Grimm would just use _Egrysta's_ effect to negate that Fusion Summon.

"Battle Phase!" Fuyu's shriek was almost as loud as that of his dragon. " _Stellarknight Sacred Dia_ —attack _Sacred Ptolemy Messiers 7_!" His dragon's jaws opened, revealing a blinding white spark of light that gradually grew in both size and intensity until it had filled the beast's mouth within seconds.

 _Huh?!_ "But the ATK points of both monsters are equal!" Masumi shouted— _they'd both be destroyed in the battle!_

"No, they won't," Dr. Grimm suddenly spoke, apparently having read Masumi's mind yet again. "I activate my _El Shaddoll Wendigo's_ effect—and target his _Sacred Dia_ so that it cannot be destroyed by battle with any Special Summoned monster this turn!"

 _Damn it!_ Masumi swore again, watching in anger as even more white light radiated from _Sacred Dia's_ mouth in a blinding beam. It _touched_ —for only an instant—the chest of Hokuto's ace as it prepared to strike in retaliation … but it never got the chance. In the instant after that, _Messiers 7_ had been completely pulverized into glowing dust, wiping out Hokuto's final defense in the blink of an eye.

Fuyu surveyed the destruction, looking just as triumphant as Shen had after bringing Yaiba's Life Points into the danger zone. "I end my turn with that," he said, his red eye fixed on Hokuto again as _Sacred Dia_ hunched down beside him, growling all the while.

" _Now_ do you know what it's like— _Hokuto_?" the Xyz user said, intentionally leaving out the honorific he'd always used up to this point, "How it feels to be _abandoned_ by the only friend you ever knew?"

Hokuto took a step back in alarm. "What are you talking about?" Masumi shot back at him. "The Hokuto I know would never do anything like that to you, Fuyu!"

"You don't remember what happened when I tried to make it into a tournament on my own—without anyone else to Duel alongside me?" Fuyu scowled at Hokuto, and Masumi started. "I was expecting you to cheer me on when I started my qualifying run for the Maiami Championship—and so you did. But when I needed you cheering me on the most"—his red eye narrowed—" _you … weren't … there_.

"That loss _destroyed me_ ," growled Fuyu. "Oh, I had my doubts; I knew that you were always going to be better than me … _busier_ than me, with no time left to help his _friend_ do the best he could! But I never forgot what happened after that Duel … I realized that I was just as weak and alone as I'd been in the days before I ever knew you."

His voice dripped with corrosive venom. "And then … the second time I wasn't by your side when you needed me," he snarled, "I had to listen to some nameless classmate on the phone tell me that you'd disappeared before the invaders came … and I felt what little will to live I had left _crushed into a pulp_." He clenched his fist and squeezed.

Then, Fuyu drew himself up to his full height, a terrible look upon his porcelain face. "That sniveling wretch you've been Dueling beside this whole time?" he said savagely. "That was _you_ , Hokuto. You made me into that _coward_."

"That's not true!" cried Masumi. "Yaiba told me how you two met! He told me how Hokuto kept you company while you were sick—he visited you every day, he taught you how to Duel! He even helped you pass your entrance exam into LDS!"

" _You shut your damned mouth_."

It was Masumi's turn to recoil as puppet-Fuyu turned his red eye on her. "You're in no position at all to stick up for your so-called _friends_ , Masumi," the Xyz user said acidly. "You used my friendship with Hokuto to draw me into your little gang—and do you see what's happened to it now, because of how incompetent you are?!

"How many of your _friends_ have you let down tonight, Masumi?!" he screeched, spittle flying from his ceramic lips. "How many more people are you going to _use_ like so many Duel Monsters, _just to fight your own pathetic battles?!_ "

Every single word felt like a hot knife being cruelly thrust into Masumi's flesh. It was worse because of whom those words were coming from; the Fusion Duelist felt tears trickling down her cheeks as Fuyu's tirade sank in.

And then, those knives dug further still into her body as Shen now raised his voice. "How many, Koutsu Masumi?!" repeated the marionette. "I _trusted_ you with all of my heart and soul. After our Duel in the city, I truly believed you to be a kindred spirit—someone who genuinely wished to be an honorable and loyal friend to everyone she knew."

His voice became a growl, filled with the deepest _loathing_ the Fusion Duelist had ever heard. "But tonight, you have proved yourself as nothing more than an _insult_ to honor and loyalty," he spat. "You _befoul_ the very concepts when you so much as speak the words that define them!"

Masumi sank down to her knees, biting her lip until it was a bloody mess, not even bothering to keep the tears from spattering at her feet. "You're wrong … " she squeaked, " … you're wrong … "

 _It's not them it's not them they're not in their own minds they don't mean a word they're saying don't listen to them_

Hotene's voice pierced through her grief, further twisting the knives in the wounds they'd made on her. "And even after all that—you still think you're the best at what you do at LDS?" shrieked the tiny Duelist atop Dr. Grimm's _Wendigo_. "You didn't play like the strongest Fusion Duelist the first time you met me. So what if you were just trying to find out how we Dueled and what monsters we Dueled with? Does that _really_ say anything _better_ about you?" She crossed her arms. " _I_ don't think so. I don't even think you thought of us as _real_ Duelists today—real _people_. We were just more pieces in your little _game_ … weren't we?!"

Masumi was too distraught to even speak a single word. She could only shake her head pleadingly, the tears still cascading down her cheeks while her mouth moved soundlessly. _No … no …_

Hotene cackled savagely at seeing the anguish so plainly showing on Masumi's face. "Where's all that strength of yours gone to now, Masu- _chan_?" she gloated. "Or are you finally starting to get it?! You _never_ had a chance—you lost before you even started this Duel!"

The shark-smile spread across her face, wider than ever. "You don't _deserve_ to call yourself a strong Duelist, _Masu-chan_. You don't even deserve to call yourself _strong_ —or even a Duelist at all!" She waved a jointed arm down in her direction. "Look at how pathetic you are—sniveling in the dirt like a _two-year-old_ who lost her favorite dolly."

"And you know what?" She curled her lip in a sneer. "It's never made me _happier_."

The last word hit Masumi like a lead weight had been swung into her gut. The Fusion user felt herself crumbling at last as the words of the puppet continued to torture her, long after they'd been hurled at her. She knew now that she had lost everything—this Duel … her friends … her life … but most of all, any confidence she'd ever had in herself.

 _I can't do this anymore …_ she thought, no longer trying to hold in her sobbing. _I've failed everyone … it's over …_

"My, my, my," Dr. Grimm said airily. "And they say _I'm_ the expert at breaking minds. I may well have outdone myself tonight with these three.

"I'm afraid they're all correct, Masumi," she said, smirking at them. "Everything they've said is true. Your plans have been laid bare, your so-called pawns have all been captured—and even the dream you'd hoped to create for the sole purpose of defeating me is no longer yours to dream. Later tonight, I'll have paid a visit to the hospital at which you're all being treated. Then, all I need to from there is flip one little switch, and _poof_ —they'll all be in another dimension, ready to start their new lives at Academia … the lives they've _always_ deserved to live."

Dr. Grimm paused. "However," she added, a strange look upon her face, "as exemplary students as they have been tonight, I am still willing to part with them … _if_ you're willing to listen to a proposition of mine."

Masumi stopped sniffling, and looked up, wondering if maybe she'd misheard the Psychic Duelist.

"Forfeit this Duel," whispered Dr. Grimm, smiling slightly. "Give yourself to me … and I swear on my honor as a Duelist that I will release these puppets from my control."

 _Forfeit …_ The very idea felt anathema to Masumi, even as she laid there on the ruined road, broken and defeated. It was the easy way out, a way to save face when up against overwhelming odds—but how _overwhelming_ these odds were! All she had to her name in this Duel was a single monster on her field, another monster in her hand, and a Spell that she'd only have one chance to use on both of them—without any chance of success at all.

 _Midrash_ beat its wings once, and both it and its rider descended closer to Masumi. "Either way, Masumi, you have no more reason to fight a meaningless battle," she said. "Accept this _truth_ , and it will make the end so much more painless for you. You can still end this nightmare—you can still save these people, and prove to them through your selfless sacrifice that you truly do mean the best for their well-being."

She came closer. "All you have to do is say three simple words"—she leaned in her ear—" _I … give … up._ "

* * *

Each word felt as though an icicle had pierced Masumi straight through her spine. _I give up_.

As she lay there, shaking in helpless fury, her tears continuing to mingle with the dust of the ruined city, the simple sentence continued to echo in her mind, louder and louder, until it felt as though a dozen Dr. Grimms weren't simply whispering it in her ear, but shouting in it, deafening her and making her curl up into an even tighter ball.

 _Was it worth it, to give up now?_

The question was all that was on her mind. She knew that conceding the Duel would mean giving up her friends, her education at LDS—even a chance at pursuing that career with her father's jewelry shop—but it would also mean that four other people would have the chance to keep on pursuing their own. Perhaps she would become a martyr, sealed just like Hokuto, remembered so as to inspire the survivors of this Duel to resist the advance of Academia …

Or would Dr. Grimm turn her into just another puppet as well? She had been after Masumi from the start, admitted to wanting to brainwash her into becoming just another faceless soldier. If that was true, then how long would it be before her _Gem-Knight_ Deck was unleashed on Maiami City—on the very school that had helped the Duelist who wielded them become the best in her class? How long would it be before Yaiba, Hotene, Shen, and Fuyu would Duel against her again—before the Psychic Duelist decided to ensnare them once more, at some point in the future?

But there was always the other option, Masumi knew—to keep on fighting, defiant to the end, even though there was no possible hope of salvaging victory. Dr. Grimm would defeat her, thus ending her life, consigning her one-time friends to the same fate as before—soldiers in a war whose scope she could not yet understand …

She lay there, continuing to ponder the same question—Masumi knew that her life as she knew it was over, no matter what she did tonight. The only question that remained was to know if she could at least depart with some measure of grace, and save four lives in place of her own … or to go down swinging, and doom everyone in this dream to the machinations of Dr. Grimm.

And the more she thought about it, the more she knew that there was only one logical choice to make.

Her lips cracked, and the voice that came from them was the dry, choking wheeze of a crone; it sounded as though she'd just aged a hundred years.

" … I … " she croaked, but the words could not come out. " … I … "

But before Masumi could give that choice any more thought, a sound had distracted her: footsteps on the asphalt, the debris beneath them crunching like gravel under their weight. She did not know who it was, nor had she the strength to find out, she continued to lay there, despondent, as she prepared to make the last free choice of her life—

She gasped. Hands had suddenly reached under her left arm—softly, not daring to disturb her. Slowly but surely, they began to exert themselves; they were trying to pull her back up, but she remained there, limp and reluctant.

 _Yaiba_ , she realized with a sniff. He must have just gotten up himself. She could not resist a smile, as defeated as he was. The boy just didn't know when to quit, bless his heart— _until you've wiped out our last Life Point, we can still win!_ That was what he'd said, hadn't he?

 _No_ , a tiny voice in her mind answered her, _no … that had been Hokuto …_

And Masumi gasped again as she felt—on her other arm—a second pair of hands.

Her heart skipped into her mouth, and her mind began to race—there were only six other people here; of them, four had been turned into puppets! Their hands wouldn't be nearly this soft, a part of her thought madly—she would know them from their touch! Which meant one of these pairs of hands had to belong to Yaiba, and the other—but that isn't impossible, said the voice in her head; he wasn't really here … he was just …

…

 _Grind._

 _…_

 _Sand._

 _…_

 _Lap._

 _…_

 _Polish._

 _…_

 _Et voilà._

…

The sudden jolt that shot through Masumi's spine was so intense that it felt like she'd been struck by lightning. She sat up, everything else completely forgotten, as the numbness of the surprise wore off.

 _All this time …_ she thought, her heart racing far faster than it ever had before. _It was right in front of me this whole time, and I didn't even know it!_

"Have you decided, then, Masumi?"

Dr. Grimm's voice, though clear as a bell, was only a whisper to Masumi's mind. She could not believe the insane thought that had just occurred to her—the reason why _he_ was here, the reason why he was fighting—the reason why he continued to remain by her side, even as her friends dropped like flies—

"Tell me something, Dr. Grimm." The Fusion Duelist's voice still croaked, and her eyes still stung from the hot tears of before—but again, she paid them no heed; all that concerned her now was the revelation that continued to unfold in her mind's eye—

"If this isn't my dream anymore, like you said"—Masumi took a deep breath, more for her own fatigue than for dramatic effect—"then how do you explain _this?!_ "

Her arms were spread wide as she rose to her feet—not because she'd done so, but because she was being supported by the two boys who had, more than anyone else, made her feel at home within the walls of the Leo Duel School.

To her left, Toudou Yaiba had hooked himself under the crook of her arm, being too short to support Masumi any other way. His teeth were bared, and he'd fixed Dr. Grimm and her retinue with one of the most defiant glares she'd ever seen in his eye—which said something of the Synchro Duelist's normally brash behavior. It was the figure on her right, however, that demanded her attention more than anything.

The look that Shijima Hokuto had in his eyes as he clutched Masumi's other arm in his hands could only be called "blissfully warm". It starkly contrasted with the fiery glint in Yaiba's gaze; his eyes did not stare down the Psychic Duelist opposite him, but rather wandered all around Masumi, searching her hungrily, a knowing twinkle to them.

"Am I to assume you're not conceding the Duel, then?" Dr. Grimm said. A nasty grin spread across her face. "If death is what you wish for, then very well. I'll make sure to pass along funeral arrangements to your family."

Masumi ignored her. "It took me a while to figure it out," she went on, tearing her gaze away from Hokuto with immense effort. "Considering what you put me through, I can't say I'd blame me for not realizing it sooner. And with how much effort you put into making sure I had no control over this dream, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd overlooked it yourself. But think about it … think about what you might have missed … or should I say, _who?_ "

Something changed at that moment in Dr. Grimm's stance: the strings that arced into the sky from her jointed body tensed, and so did she. Her dead eyes were roving this way and that, devouring the sight Masumi knew she was seeing—she knew Dr. Grimm's mind was rapidly coming to the same conclusion she just had a moment ago—

"Exactly," she said, forcing a defiant smirk. "If this was _your_ dream, then from the moment this Duel had started … Shijima Hokuto would have been fighting for _you_."

Dr. Grimm's eyes widened slightly in blank shock for a moment, and then it was gone—but Masumi had seen.

"But he never did, did he?" she continued. "Even when Hokuto appeared right before your eyes, you never stopped to think about why he might be here—even though you and everyone here knew that his real body had been sealed! To you, he was just one more opponent—another potential recruit in Academia's twisted army!"

"Your point?" Dr. Grimm's query came through clenched teeth.

"My point," Masumi said defiantly, "is that to me … Hokuto is my _friend_. _That's_ why he's here with me—with everyone else you trapped in _my_ dream by using those powers of yours! That's right!" she yelled loudly, for Dr. Grimm had taken a step back. " _My_ dream! Not _yours_ —you even said it yourself! No matter how much you've infected my mind, I still have _some_ power over my own dreams—and the proof is _right here!_ "

She waved her right hand around its wrist—the most she could do while Hokuto was holding up the arm that was gesturing to him—but even as she did so, more windows of possibility were opening up before Masumi, shining upon her with the first light of dawn—

"Hokuto is _me_ , Dr. Grimm—he's _been_ me this whole time," she said, standing tall, while Yaiba and the echo of Hokuto continued to stand either side of her, resolute as the twin bastions of a castle. "Which raises an important question, doesn't it? If I can bring back my friend from the grave so that he can help me fight you … "

Her eyes roved left to right, scanning the field, before she said, " … then what _else_ can I do with this power?"

Dr. Grimm took another step back in agitation, the strings of her puppet body beginning to vibrate from how tensely they'd been strung. But Masumi paid her no heed; her gaze had already turned to the first Duelist she'd met earlier that day—who'd helped her forget, for a time, that Dueling was about more than just personal pride.

"Hotene." Masumi's heart felt like it would burst as the words fell from her mouth, almost as soon as she thought them—it felt as though someone else might be speaking for her. "I remember what you taught me today—that we all need a reason to smile every day, no matter what.

"Well, look at me now," she said, feeling that smile beginning to creep across her face inch by inch. "As crazy as it sounds … I feel _happy_. Because I know now that I'm not going to die tonight."

She laughed. Not the scornful, mocking laughter of her counterpart's puppet—a genuine, child's laugh, one that she probably hadn't had since she was a child herself. Masumi could feel everyone's eyes on her—the reddened eyes of Hotene foremost and widest among them—but she didn't care that everyone was staring, that she might be making a fool of herself. With every giggle and chuckle, she could feel the despair leaving her, the weight in her stomach lessening with every breath she took.

It felt like a long while before the mirth had left her, and she'd turned to the next Duelist she'd encountered that day—the next to have been ensnared by the wiles and wires of Dr. Grimm.

"Shen," she began, "I remember what you taught me, too—that if I can control my fear, then there's nothing else in my life that I need to control. Well—look at me now. I don't need to be scared anymore. I know now that I've been in control of this dream from the beginning."

And it was true, she knew. There was a reason Hokuto's presence had felt so welcome; his echo had been more than just her wish for her friend to return to the land of the living—he was a guide, a beacon of hope in Masumi's mind for when things became bleak—and how bleak they had been, she thought, before she'd come to this realization!

The Synchro user, for his part, remained standing where he was; whether he had understood her words to him, she could not tell—but for now, all her attention was focused on the thin boy whose whole world had been the very same Duelist that had helped save her tonight.

She swallowed, feeling that swelling sensation in her breast begin to expand even more. "Fuyu," she whispered softly, "I remember what you taught me—that strength isn't everything when it comes to Dueling; that what really matters is the knowledge of _when_ to use that strength.

"Well … look at me now." She gestured to her _Gem-Knight Emeral_ , the last line of defense she had to her name. "There's hardly anything standing between me and that puppet behind you—no Spells, no Traps, and only a single, simple monster. So I know now that I can only get _stronger_ from here!"

Fuyu drew back, tilting his head, giving Masumi a very scrutinizing look that did not suit him at all, whether as a human being or as a puppet. But the rage in his eye had abated; he had not expected to hear Masumi say the things she had.

And now Masumi's eyes roved towards the fourth and final puppet in her dream—the cause of every torture and torment that had been heaped upon her and her friends for the past three days.

"As for _you_." Her voice suddenly became much more bitter; the temperature of the air around them might have dropped ten whole degrees. "I remember what you taught me more than anything, Dr. Grimm. You taught me the meaning of _æmæth_ —you told me the truth. But it wasn't the _truth_ you were hoping you could teach me. No—this was something you helped me realize a long time ago, before you infected my life like the _disease_ that you are …

She felt her hand reach for her Deck, her fingers alighting millimeters above the topmost card. "That I am the _best damned Fusion Duelist_ that has _ever_ walked through the doors of the Leo Duel School.

"And _look at me now!_ " Masumi shrieked at the Psychic Duelist. "Because tonight, I'm going to show you _why!_ "

Her fingers touched the card, and she closed her eyes—

"It's … "

—she felt her muscles tense, from her shoulder all the way down to her wrist; her fingers twitched expectantly—

 _" … my … "_

—the whole world seemed to stop, stuck between one moment and the next, as if its future hinged on these next few seconds—

 ** _"TURN!"_**

She drew the card with ferocious energy, feeling the shockwave radiate out from around her, disturbing the crushed debris in the alleyway as though by a sudden gust of wind. At the same time, a sudden fiery light, bright as the first rays of dawn, assaulted her eyes—so unexpectedly blinding that she had to shut her eyes for a moment almost as soon as she'd opened them, and so did not immediately see her card.

Masumi waited a few dangerous moments longer before she opened her eyes—she flipped the card in her fingers—

—and felt her heart stop as she saw exactly what that card was.

Her initial reaction was one of hopelessness—she could not use _this card_ right now! Add that to a next-to-useless Spell Card and the two monsters in her hand and on her field, and she had nothing worth playing at all—nothing, at least, that would help her end this Duel in one turn!

She turned to look at Hokuto and Yaiba, feeling that her sudden downcast expression told them all they needed to know—but to her surprise, Hokuto's pleasant smile hadn't faded from his face. He stared back at Masumi, and nodded once.

For some reason, that was enough for Masumi. If her echo of Hokuto was willing to trust her this far, to the bitter end, then so would she.

 _Then here goes nothing!_ "I Summon _Gem-Knight Alexand_ in Attack Position!" Masumi cried, watching her silver-armored warrior burst onto the field, its many gems casting multicolored lights all over the alley (Level 4: _ATK 1800 »_ _ **1100**_ /DEF 1200).

"Then, I'll Release _Alexand_ to activate its effect," she continued, "and Special Summon a _Gem-Knight_ Normal Monster from my Deck! I Special Summon _Gem-Knight Crysta_ in Attack Position!" No sooner had _Alexand_ burst into millions of tiny glowing fragments than those had reformed into an even larger armored knight, its silver plating glinting even more brightly than its predecessor (Level 7: _ATK 2450 »_ _ **1750**_ /DEF 1950).

"That's what I was waiting for!" cried Hokuto all of a sudden. "Quick-Play Spell: _Sacred Burst_!"

Masumi whirled around—she'd completely forgotten the Xyz Duelist had Set a card his last turn! Had he been saving it for a time like this?

"When I activate this card," explained Hokuto, "I can banish up to three _Sacred_ Monsters in my Graveyard—then, I can target the same number of cards on the field to negate their effects until the End Phase of the turn!"

Masumi's heart rose so fast that it almost escaped from out of her chest.

"First, I banish my _Sacred Omega_ to target my Continuous Spell: _Sacred Belt_ , and negate its effect!" Hokuto went on. "Then, I banish my _Sacred Pleiades_ to target Rokkaku Fuyu's _Stellarknight Sacred Dia_ to negate _its_ effects!"

The Fusion user felt her heart keep on rising as she watched Fuyu's face scowl at this turn of events; she could use her _Gem-Knight Fusion_ to its fullest extent now, and her _Brilliant Fusion_ as well—but would it be enough against—

"And finally," Hokuto grinned, "I banish my _Sacred Ptolemy Messiers 7_ to negate the effects … of _Cursed Shadow's Snare_!"

Dr. Grimm recoiled. "You're doing _what?!_ " she hissed, her emerald eyes wide in horror; but the effect of Hokuto's card was already taking hold on the field. _Sacred Dia's_ armor suddenly looked very dull—its shining luster gone—while the armor on Masumi's two _Gem-Knights_ was now glinting so brightly that she briefly had to cover her eyes. Most noticeable, however, were the effects this had on Dr. Grimm's puppets; Hotene, Shen, and Fuyu each looked as though an earthquake had just happened right under their feet. They were reeling, struggling to keep their balance while the strings that connected them began to vibrate so violently that they looked like they were about to break.

 _This is my chance!_ "Now," Masumi said, swiping the card she'd just drawn, "I activate the Continuous Spell: _Brilliant Fusion_! I can use this card to fuse _Gem-Knight_ monsters in my Deck for a Fusion Summon, but its ATK and DEF both become zero!"

Dr. Grimm's eyes briefly widened, and her hand had tensed, but Masumi knew that that caveat had convinced her—both Duelists knew there wasn't any point wasting her _Egrysta's_ effect on a zero-ATK monster.

She bit back a smirk. _Her mistake_.

"I fuse my _Gem-Knight Lapis_ with not one—but _two_ copies of _Gem-Knight Lazuli_ from my Deck!" Masumi howled. A sudden shimmering light appeared from her Deck, and three colored beams raced out of it, sucked into the vortex that had appeared behind her while she chanted:

 **"Blue and green stones of mysterious power, combine your brilliance to bring forth a new dazzling radiance!"**

 **"** ** _Fusion Summon!_** **This is my** ** _true_** **ace!"** she screamed. **"Dazzling lady,** ** _Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia_** **!"**

The brilliance of _Crysta_ and _Emeral_ paled in comparison to the monster that had landed between them. Though Masumi's strongest monster had none of that strength to its name at present (Level 10: _ATK 3400 »_ _ **0**_ /DEF 2000 » **0** ), the Fusion user knew full well that its _true_ strength had nothing to do with ATK or DEF.

" _Gem-Knight Lazuli's_ effect!" she cried. "When it's sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, I can add a Gem-Knight Normal Monster in my Graveyard to my hand!" For her first _Lazuli_ , she ejected the _Sanyx_ she'd sent there at the start of the Duel; since it was a Gemini monster, it could be treated as a Normal Monster while it was in her hand or Graveyard. Then, for her second, she added the same _Lapis_ she'd sent there with _Brilliant Fusion_.

"Now, I activate _Brilliant Dia's_ effect!" she cried. "Once per turn, I can send a _Gem-Knight_ monster I control to the Graveyard—and then, I can Special Summon a _Gem-Knight_ monster from my Extra Deck, ignoring its Summoning conditions!"

Dr. Grimm's eyes grew wider, and Masumi could see them contract in sudden fear. "I won't let you!" the Psychic Duelist cried, swiping up a card in her hand. " _El Shaddoll Egrysta's_ effect! Whatever you're planning on Special Summoning, I can negate that Summon, destroy that monster, and send a _Shaddoll_ card from my hand to the—"

She broke off here. Masumi, her heart pounding, waited for the hammer blow to fall.

"What's going on here?!" Dr. Grimm was heard to mutter. "It isn't accepting the card!"

Masumi pulled back, momentarily confused, her strategy forgotten. _Another Dueling error?!_

Then … "And that would be the effect of my _Chaofeng, Dracomet of Phantoms_."

Six pairs of eyes—living, dead, and each as shocked as the next one—whirled to face the puppet of Li Shen.

"While _Chaofeng_ remains on the field," he explained, his voice bolder and much more steady than the Fusion user had ever heard it, "my opponent cannot activate the effects of any monsters whose original Ats match those of the _Dracomet_ monsters used to Synchro Summon this monster!"

It felt as though Masumi's heart had inflated, soaring so high into her chest that she felt as though she could float. _No way …_ she thought, disbelief trumping elation. _Does that mean he's …_

" _Chaofeng_ was Synchro Summoned using a FIRE monster, a WATER monster, a WIND monster … _and_ a DARK monster," Shen said, with a long look at a suddenly horrified Dr. Grimm. "Which means that the vast majority of the monsters on your field—and those in your hand as well, I would wager—are useless to you now."

 _… He is!_

And it seemed that Shen was quite right. As Masumi looked on in wonder, _Chaofeng_ turned round to growl at the Psychic Duelist, who suddenly looked as though she was wishing to be anywhere but here. Flames of many colors spilled from the beast's jaws—red, green, blue, violet most prominent among them—and washed over the field in an instant. When the smoke had cleared, Masumi's heart leapt further still as she saw those same multicolored flames now binding both _Egrysta_ and _Wendigo_. Hotene had scrabbled off the back the latter, her eyes wide with fear … or was it something else? Her eyes were not on the imprisoned _Wendigo_ , but on Shen himself.

Masumi followed her gaze, and her heart leapt higher still; the glowing strings that connected Shen to Dr. Grimm's overriding will were disintegrating into dust. The features of the Synchro Duelist were softening now; porcelain and ceramic became flesh again, while once-starched clothes flowed and rippled like water once more.

"No." Dr. Grimm had finally found her voice. She was shaking her head, refusing to see what her dead eyes saw—that Li Shen—as swiftly as he'd been subjugated—had actually _broken free of her influence_.

 _Yes!_ Masumi pumped a fist as Shen crossed the distance between them with a single, mighty leap, farther and higher than any he'd performed yet, before finally taking up his former place next to Hokuto. His dark eyes glittered strangely as they gazed at Masumi—but it felt like a _good_ kind of strange to her, as though the Synchro Duelist had just now seen a side of her that even he hadn't been aware about.

"If you know your enemies and know yourself," he said softly, as though half to himself, "you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles." This made Masumi frown; those words sounded familiar to her. Then it hit her; Shen had told her that himself, during their Duel earlier that afternoon!

"If you know yourself, but not the enemy," Shen added, "then for every victory gained, you will suffer a defeat." He turned to Dr. Grimm, and something within that dark stare intensified; it felt as though his eyes were radiating waves of burning heat at the Psychic Duelist. "But if you know neither the enemy nor yourself … then you will be imperiled in every single battle.

"And _you_ ," he added, staring down the marionette without even the slightest hint of fear, as _Chaofeng_ swished its ethereal tail above him, "know _nothing_ about Masumi _or_ her friends. You know nothing of the faith she placed in them, that she— _we_ —could end the _torture_ you are responsible for inflicting upon her!"

 _Chaofeng_ roared as if to accentuate Shen's defiant words, sending gusts of wind scattering about the alley.

Masumi had no idea what to say; Shen's reversal had been nothing short of a miracle—more unexpected and more satisfying than even what Hokuto and Yaiba had done for her just now. But there was no need to say anything, she soon figured—Shen had turned to look at her, very briefly; his eyes were twinkling in such a way that she _knew_ , without even needing to confirm it for herself, that his loyalty was indisputable, _unshakable_.

"My _Dracomet Leyline_ is still in play!" the Synchro Duelist now called out. "Since I have four _Dracomet_ monsters with different original Ats in my Graveyard, every monster my opponent controls is now switched to face-up Attack Position—and furthermore, they can no longer Set any monsters while my _Leyline_ remains on the field!"

 _El Shaddoll Wendigo_ —the only opposing monster in Defense Position—shuddered within its auric restraints, clearly resisting, but the unrelenting energy soon forced it into an attack stance. Then Masumi remembered that Wendigo _only had 200 ATK,_ and her heart almost burst in elation—not only had Shen sealed off almost every single monster effect Dr. Grimm had at her disposal, but he'd also opened up an opportunity for her that she'd never have again!

The ripples of energy that lapped at her back briefly startled her; she'd completely forgotten she'd been ready to activate _Brilliant Dia's_ effect! But in the brief moment it took for her to look at the waiting vortex, however, her nerves had just as suddenly become hard as steel. She was much more sure of herself, now—she knew that she could do this!

"For my _Brilliant Dia's_ effect," she said, "I send my _Gem-Knight Emeral_ to the Graveyard … and Special Summon my _other_ ace monster— _Gem-Knight Master Dia_!"

The tornado of light peaked, spitting out a monster that was every bit as dazzling and gigantic as _Brilliant Dia_ (Level 9: _ATK 2900_ /DEF 2500). The broadsword slung over _Master Dia's_ shoulder sparkled with every color imaginable—so blindingly bright that Masumi had to shield her eyes.

"Remember how _Master Dia_ gains 100 ATK for every _Gem_ \- monster in my Graveyard, Dr. Grimm?" Masumi asked, a reckless smile plastered on her face. "Let's count them, shall we? Two copies of _Lazuli_ , then an _Emeral_ , an _Alexand_ , a _Gemresis_ , and three different Fusion Monsters— _Rubyz_ , _Madeira_ , and _Zirconia_!"

She gestured to her _Master Dia_ , letting its point gauge speak for itself; Masumi saw, with immense satisfaction, a look of horror work its way across Dr. Grimm's face as the implications sank in—right as the gauge in question climbed to 3700.

"But I'm not done yet—not even _close_!" she yelled, slipping _Gem-Knight Fusion_ into her Graveyard. "I activate _Brilliant Fusion's_ effect! Once per turn, I can discard a Spell Card from my hand to return the ATK and DEF of the monster it was used to Summon to their original values, until the end of your next turn!" She indicated the sudden, blazingly bright light that had engulfed her _Brilliant Dia_ , raising its own gauge to its usual, staggering _3400_ /2000. "And the best part," Masumi went on, "is that I can now use _Gem-Knight Fusion's_ other effect! I'll banish my first _Lazuli_ from my Graveyard, and return it to my hand!"

But just as soon as the card had been spat out of her Graveyard, Masumi had slipped it back in—her reckless smile growing ever wider all the while. "Now I'll activate my _Gem-Knight Fusion_ ," she screamed, "and fuse the _Gem-Knight Sanyx_ and _Gem-Knight Lapis_ in my hand for _another_ Fusion Summon!" She slid the monsters in question—the final two cards in her hand—and felt the familiar funnel of energy swirling behind her once again:

 **"Gem of crimson fire!"** she chanted. **"Become one with the blue stone, and create a new light!"**

 **"** ** _Fusion Summon!_** **One who illuminates the shadows with unyielding resolution!** _ **Gem-Knight Zirconia**_ **!"**

The broad form of her third-strongest monster (or at least, the second copy she'd kept stored in her Deck) now stomped out of the vortex (Level 8: _ATK 2900_ /DEF 2500). It pounded its tire-sized piledriver fists on the pavement in anticipation of the battle to come, while beside it, _Master Dia's_ ATK rose to 3800, thanks to the new additions in Masumi's Graveyard.

Masumi couldn't resist taking a step back to admire her handiwork so far: in almost a single turn, she'd turned one monster into four—and eighteen hundred points' worth of ATK into well over _ten thousand_. The combined radiance of all four of her strongest armored knights far outshone even the sunniest days of her memory. The freezing chill of this dream world no longer troubled her—she wanted to bask in it for the rest of her life.

However, the feeling of bliss soon left her; Masumi knew there was still work to be done. "Finally, I'll activate my _Master Dia's_ effect!" she cried. "Once per turn, I can banish a Level 7 or lower _Gem-Knight_ Fusion Monster from my Graveyard to have _Master Dia_ gain its effects until the end of the turn!"

 _But which monster to choose?_ Masumi thought; the only two choices she really had to hand were either her _Rubyz_ or her _Madeira_. _Rubyz'_ effect would give _Master Dia_ an even bigger boost in ATK—but there was still _Nephilim's_ effect to contend with; Hokuto had not negated the effect of Dr. Grimm's gigantic ace monster. _Madeira's_ effect, on the other hand, would give _Master Dia_ no trouble bypassing that devastating ability—along with that face-down card Hotene still had on her field—but on the downside, she'd be sacrificing the potential to cause more damage.

She inhaled, exhaled, then inhaled again. _Be the best damn Fusion Duelist LDS has ever seen_ , she reminded herself, glancing at Dr. Grimm and her remaining puppets. _Play to your strengths—do what you do best to win!_

"I choose to banish … " she finally said, " … my _Gem-Knight Rubyz_!"

An image of the scarlet knight briefly appeared in front of _Master Dia_ , before being sucked into one of the gems that lined the broadsword it carried. The armored giant now hauled his massive blade from where it had been resting on his shoulder blades, brandishing it in an attack stance with a low growl even as his ATK dropped slightly to 3700.

"Now, I'll activate my _Master Dia's_ inherited effect!" Masumi continued. "Once per turn, I can Release a _Gem-Knight_ monster I control, and have _Master Dia_ gain its ATK until the end of the turn! I choose to Release … my _Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Dia_!"

Her ace monster vanished in a sudden eruption of scarlet flame. That fire engulfed _Master Dia_ soon afterward, but instead of vanishing inside the inferno, the flames appeared to be vanishing inside the monster's sword. The blade began to glow with a fiery brilliance—giving off enough heat to rival an industrial-size smelter—while its wielder's ATK rose even higher, until it sat at a titanic **_7200_** —

"Trap activate: _Combination with the Spirit Beast_!" shrieked Hotene all of a sudden.

Masumi's heart seemed to sink out of her chest and well into the pavement beneath her feet as the face-down card she'd just fretted over moments ago now revealed itself. She remembered Hotene using it in their previous Duel—and knew there was nothing she could do about it.

"If I control a _Spirit Beast_ monster when I activate this card," the tiny Duelist smirked, while her gigantic _Gaiapelio_ roared as if to draw even more attention to itself, "I can destroy monsters on the field up to the number of _Spirit Beast_ monsters I control!"

Masumi cursed under her breath, while Dr. Grimm looked appraisingly at Hotene. She knew that both of them were thinking the same thing: Hotene had been waiting to activate that card just in case Masumi had the good luck to put together a strong field. In her elation, Masumi knew she had committed an amateur mistake: she'd consolidated too much power into her _Master Dia_ —and now she was going to pay the price.

The Fusion Duelist stared back at her tiny counterpart, feeling her mouth go bone-dry. This was it, she knew; she'd hit a wall that even Hokuto wouldn't be able to help her climb this time around …

"I target and destroy … " Hotene said, her smirk growing even wider—was it a trick of the light, Masumi wondered, or had that red light in Hotene's eyes _flickered_ suddenly—

" _… El Shaddoll Nephilim!_ "

" _What?!_ "

Masumi didn't know who had shouted—only that it sounded like a woman's voice, so either herself or Dr. Grimm. For all she knew, it might even have been both of them; her throat sounded as if she'd just yelled the word at the top of her lungs. Regardless, both Masumi and the Psychic Duelist had whirled upon _Nephilim_ in utter surprise, right as some immensely powerful force detonated from within the equally massive Fusion Monster. _Nephilim's_ torso was blown wide open by the explosion, unraveling the myriads of strings that connected it to the threads in the sky—and then the entire monster, thrown off balance by the force of the impact, began a slow but steady topple backwards.

Hotene stood tall against the fallen _Nephilim_ , all traces of her marionette form slowly withdrawing from her body; she was regaining her humanity—and yet, even before her bright blue eyes and brighter smile had been restored to her, both of them were already shining in a way that rivaled the sheen of Masumi's _Gem-Knights_.

"Had ya goin' there—didn't I, Masu- _chan_?" Hotene snickered, winking at her.

Masumi wasn't sure if she wanted to scold the little girl or crush her in the biggest bear hug she could; either way, she was much too happy to especially care. Hotene, too—now fully freed of the poisonous influence of the Psychic Duelist that had defeated her—now skipped to where Masumi stood, between Shen and the echo of Hokuto. Her _Gaiapelio_ followed close behind her, leaping over the group of Duelists in a single bound.

It seemed to take hours before _Nephilim_ finally crashed into the city beneath it, causing tremors for miles around. Every Duelist present, including Masumi and Dr. Grimm, was unseated by the earthshaking THUD—to say nothing of the storm of debris in its wake. How many buildings had been flattened by the impact, Masumi did not know, but the impact of an object that size would surely have been enough to alter the terrain of the immediate area.

Her monsters had taken most of the debris storm, shielding her—leaving Masumi unhurt, if rather shaken. But the wobbly feeling in her legs had soon passed as the full implications of what Hotene had just done sank in—Dr. Grimm's defenses had been broken; her strongest monster, both physically and otherwise, had been destroyed.

The Psychic Duelist seemed to realize this; she was now looking at Hotene with a mixture of confusion and rage. "How?" Dr. Grimm could only say. "I would have given you that power without a second thought! Your mastery of Fusion would have been unparalleled in Academia! How did she tempt you away from me?! _What did you do?!_ "

She howled the four words at Masumi as though hoping they would mortally wound her, but both Fusion Duelists—older and younger—stood firm, weathering the tirade.

"Because she understands something about Dueling that you never could," Masumi replied. It surprised her how calm her voice sounded. "There's nothing wrong with Dueling for recognition or reputation—same goes for prize money or some other kind of power. But the youngest and the best of us"—she gave Hotene a glowing look—"Duel for something much simpler than any of those things … yet it's something far more valuable and precious to them."

"Aw, quit makin' it sound like some big deal, Masu- _chan_ ," scoffed Hotene in mock irritation, before breaking out into the biggest grin Masumi had yet seen her wear. "Sometimes a girl just wants to _have fun_ , y'know?"

Her blue eyes met Masumi's own, and a look of silent understanding passed between them. _We all need a reason to smile_ , Masumi remembered her saying earlier that day, feeling a massive smile of her own spreading across her face. She didn't dare try to suppress it.

Because—" _Battle Phase!_ " Masumi screamed, extending a finger at Dr. Grimm. " _Gem-Knight Crysta_ —attack _El Shaddoll Wendigo_!" The silver-armored knight raced forward with a mighty leap, lashing out with its plated fists—once, twice—and connected both times on the ceramic skin of _Wendigo_ , cracking the puppet down the middle before it disintegrated completely. The force of the explosion knocked Dr. Grimm off her feet just as she'd gotten back up; only the threads connecting her to the heavens above kept her steady as her LP dropped to 7250.

"Next!" shrieked Masumi. " _Gem-Knight Zirconia_ —attack _El Shaddoll Egrysta_!" The earth shook beneath the armored footfalls of the burly knight. It, too, raised its fists high, soaring into the air with a monumental jump—and both fists connected dead center with _Egrysta's_ chest, cracking the half-melted armor like flatbread, going right through the innards, and coming out the other side. Both halves of _Egrysta_ collapsed to the ground with dual _thuds_ , left and right of their psychic mistress, who was now looking at Masumi with what she could only describe as horror-stricken hatred.

Dr. Grimm's big mistake, ironically enough, had been in the one card that had caused so much destruction in this Duel, Masumi now understood. Her reliance on _Shadow of Fusion_ —while able to bypass the opponent's monsters so that her own creatures could hack away at their Life Points directly—left them on the field where they could still be used—whether to retaliate or to use their own effects where necessary. Dr. Grimm had been Dueling this whole time under the assumption that, having ensnared their controllers' minds, she would be able to use those monsters to her advantage—and she'd been right.

But she hadn't counted on one person.

" _Gem-Knight Master Dia!_ " Masumi screeched, feeling the finality in every word she spoke. "Attack—!"

" _No!_ " Dr. Grimm bellowed. She was breathing heavily—whether from exertion or sheer rage could not be certain—but she was still smiling as though she'd already won. "I'm sorry, Masumi … but I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Masumi frowned, feeling her heart beat a furious cadence against her ribcage.

"Battle Royale rules," panted the Psychic Duelist. "If there's a monster on the opponents' side of the field, then it must be attacked first before any direct attack on their Life Points." She laughed savagely, though the effect was somewhat mitigated with how loudly she gasped for breath. "Doesn't matter if it's my monster, or someone else's," she smirked. "As long as I've got an ally with a monster to protect me … then my Life Points are safe."

It took Masumi a few moments to realize that she was right: Fuyu still had his _Sacred Dia_ on the field … which meant _he_ would take the damage of the attack instead of Dr. Grimm—who still had a considerable amount of Life Points to her name. Fuyu's, however, would be reduced to zero—and Masumi had no idea what would happen if a Duelist were to lose _again_ in this nightmare of a Duel.

 _So close_ , she lamented, _and yet so far_. It was just like her Duel from last night—only this time, it felt much more demoralizing because she truly, genuinely had felt as though she was about to win tonight.

"So what will you do now, Masumi?" Dr. Grimm taunted her. "There's only one person you can attack now—and even I don't know what will happen to him when you do. In all my time with Academia, I've never battled anyone who lost _twice_ in the same Duel." She smiled. "Are you willing to take that risk, hmm? To condemn your so-called _friend_ —my only remaining ally—to an unknown fate, just so your other friends can finish me off for good?"

The Fusion Duelist's hands were shaking with rage. " _Coward_ ," spat Masumi. "You'd hide behind the life of an innocent boy, just to gloat at me for one more turn? You are absolutely—"

"— _despicable_."

Yet again, six pairs of eyes snapped towards a single figure.

Rokkaku Fuyu had drawn himself to his full height—not much next to Dr. Grimm—but there was a look in his eye that chilled to the marrow; Masumi felt too scared by this to wonder if this meant what she thought it could mean.

"What you're doing is _despicable_ ," Fuyu hissed again, his single visible eye burning a hole into Dr. Grimm's face. "Running away to fight another day is one thing—but leaving someone else to do the fighting for you is something else completely."

Dr. Grimm shrank back, mortified. "You would _dare_ —"

"Yes, I would," replied Fuyu, louder than Masumi had ever heard him speak, "because that girl has proven herself a stronger Duelist than you will ever be! For all your monsters—all your Spells and Traps—the only strength I have seen from you has been your constant hiding behind _puppets_ and _tricks_!

"The greatest mark of a Duelist is not the strength of her monsters," the Xyz Duelist rasped. "It's not even knowing when to use them—well, maybe a little," he amended, with a look at Masumi. "It's how she reacts in the face of all that strength."

"The strength of her _spirit_ ," Hokuto murmured from alongside Masumi, and the Fusion Duelist blinked—it had been him, she remembered, who had seen the frail Xyz user through thick and thin … who'd told him to use his physical weakness as an advantage …

Fuyu now reached a jointed arm above his head, and—Dr. Grimm recoiled in shock—physically _tore out_ the strings that infested his scrawny puppet body, in a feat of strength Masumi had never thought possible from the sickly boy.

As Fuyu's body began to smooth out, as his skin began to reassume its normal bone-pale sheen, he continued gazing at Dr. Grimm. "That's how _strong_ of a Duelist I am," he said to the Psychic Duelist. "I may not be half as strong as Hokuto- _san_ … but I'm strong enough to reject _you_ —and everything you stand for."

He stood up. " _I'm not your puppet anymore_ ," he said simply.

And he walked over to Masumi without another word, _Sacred Dia_ drifting behind him.

No one dared speak as the Xyz Duelist approached her. Masumi, her heart pounding fit to burst, stared into Fuyu's eye, now its normal electric blue—and he stared back at her. Neither Duelist spoke; neither Duelist needed to.

This time, Fuyu was the one who embraced her, and whispered a brief, but no less heartfelt, " … Thank you," to Masumi, before turning on his heel to stare down Dr. Grimm.

For the longest time, it looked as though the Psychic Duelist had lost the ability to speak outright. Her dead eyes were perfectly round in their sockets; a look of burgeoning terror was beginning to work its way onto Dr. Grimm's porcelain face. Something ugly and corrosive was building up inside her; Masumi could feel the sheer hatred—

And then, she covered her ears instinctively as Dr. Grimm let out a wordless howl of rage. The sound was not at all human—it was the bestial banshee-howl of a demon, one and the same with the realm it commanded. The dream world shook under their feet, louder and more violent than ever before; it felt as though the earth itself was about to crack in two. Yet for all the sheer power and malice behind the shout, a corner of Masumi's mind knew this was nothing more than the impotent tantrum of a child who'd broken her favorite toy—whose last, best hope for things to go _her way_ had just evaporated before her very eyes.

"You … " she snarled. Her eyes were beginning to glow with a devilish light. "You've ruined everything … I'll ruin _you_! You'll never be able to sleep _again_ before I'm through with you!"

But Masumi had finally heard enough. "Consider _this_ a 'truth of God', _Dr. Grimm!_ " she shrieked, so loudly that her voice cracked. "You're _finished!_ This Duel is _OVER!_

" _Gem-Knight Master Dia!_ " the Fusion Duelist roared. "End this madness _once and for all!_ "

Masumi's monster raised his scintillating blade high, preparing to strike the final blow—but hers wasn't the only one. The mane of Hotene's _Gaiapelio_ was crackling with flames, multicolored energy was spilling from Shen's _Chaofeng_ , and a mass of light—brighter than any star in the sky—was blossoming inside the mouth of Fuyu's _Sacred Dia_ —

" ** _ATTACK DR. GRIMM DIRECTLY!_** "

* * *

As one, all four Duelists bellowed out the command.

As one, all four of their monsters obeyed without hesitation.

The world was lost to sight in the eruption of blinding light, searing fire, and deafening noise that followed. Masumi could hardly move for staying still; the ground was trembling so badly that it was a wonder she was still standing.

Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the chaos settled, and the dust cleared, revealing a sight of utter destruction. The combined attacks of the monsters had gutted the city for dozens of blocks around. Bricks, glass, and asphalt had been pulverized into fine powder, leaving behind hulks of trembling steel that threatened to collapse at any time. The wall of **ÆMÆTH** had been wiped out completely; its only sign of existence was a smear of color that had once been the many layers of chipped paint, that had borne the word Masumi had hated more than any other—it was gone now, all gone—

In the center of the destruction—amidst a shrill, familiar beeping noise—Gwendolyn Grimm, the Golem of Academia, lay at last, at long, long last … defeated, by Masumi's own hand, her Life Point gauge completely empty.

 _Zero_.

* * *

Masumi felt too tired to cheer—even knowing this was a dream. She could do nothing more than slump to the destroyed pavement, breathing as though she'd just run miles. It felt like ages before she finally spoke.

"Hah," she panted. "We did it … we _won_."

That was all she felt like saying. There would be time later to soak it in—hours and days, perhaps even weeks and months—but for now, all she wanted to do was lie here, amidst the war-torn dreamscape, and never get up again …

"You know you can't stay," a voice said from above her. It took her some time to realize it was Hokuto. "You've got bigger problems than just winning a Duel for your life."

With what felt like the greatest effort she'd ever expended, Masumi opened her eyes.

The shade of the Xyz Duelist was still there—but even as she stared at him, Hokuto's form was fading in and out. Instinctively, she knew there would be no stopping it this time; the Duel was over—there was nothing keeping Hokuto's echo here any longer. Even if that echo had been a part of her all along—the thought of watching him leave to a place where they couldn't follow was torture.

It was this knowledge, perhaps, that finally persuaded her to get to her feet—although she still needed support from Yaiba and the others, who'd crowded around her, propping her up so that she could finally stand.

Masumi stared at the fading Xyz Duelist, swallowing, before speaking the words she knew everyone had on their mind—Fuyu most of all. "I wish you didn't have to go," she said, her voice thick. "I couldn't have done this without you. I don't know if I'll be able to go through this again … if you won't be there with me next time."

The smile that appeared on Hokuto's face was warmer than any summer's day. "Wherever Hokuto is right now," he said, "I don't think he'll need to worry about you at all. If tonight was any indication, I think you'll be just fine."

There was a sudden flash of light, and suddenly his form became more transparent than ever. "But on the off chance we're wrong," he added—his voice much more ethereal than before—"just remember: I'm closer than you think."

He stepped back. "I'll be going now," he said. "Hopefully, so will the rest of you, if you've done the job right." He glanced at the center of the mound of pulverized debris, where Dr. Grimm's body still rested. "I'd rather not have to find myself in this place again."

Masumi—despite her bittersweet feelings at the prospect of Hokuto's aspect leaving—was only too happy to agree.

"Take care of yourselves, now—especially you two," Hokuto was saying, with a look at Masumi and Fuyu. "Otherwise, I might find a way to break out of that card they put me in—and they wouldn't want that … no, they wouldn't … "

As his laughter echoed around the remains of the alley, a second flash of light bloomed around him, much brighter this time—and he was gone. The last traces of his words faded away to nothingness in the stillness of the ruined dreamscape.

Masumi stared at the space where her projection of Hokuto had once stood, then back in the distance to Dr. Grimm. She did not speak for a long time.

Then, quite suddenly, as if following some secret orders, she secured her Duel Disk, and set off into the desolation.

Yaiba and the others hurried after her. "What are you doing?" the Synchro Duelist wanted to know.

"This isn't the end of it." Masumi could still here Hokuto's words in her head. _If you've done the job right …_ "If I don't put a stop to this tonight, then Dr. Grimm will keep on torturing me in my sleep for the rest of my life. She won't stop Dueling me in my dreams until she's turned me into a brain-dead soldier … or a _dead_ -dead Duelist."

She clenched her fists. "This is _my_ dream, Yaiba," she growled, quickening her pace. "I'm ending it on _my_ terms."

* * *

Before she knew it, they were approaching the puppet of the woman Masumi had come to hate more than any other.

Dr. Grimm had taken the full force of that direct attack, and it showed. Every last one of the strings that bound her had been severed, and her articulated limbs were splayed at odd angles; if she'd been flesh and blood, the way her neck had been twisted would have almost certainly killed her. Cracks and burns were everywhere on her marionette body, from her porcelain skin to her jointed green hair—even her starched purple clothes. But she was far from dead; behind those superficial injuries, there burned a violet flame that Masumi was quick to recognize.

" … You've won, Masumi. I'll grant you that." The pleasant, affable British accent of Wendy Grimm had melded with the wicked, genderless growl of her alter ego. Ito and the Golem were inseparable now—there was no longer any distinction between the human without and the demon within. "But this is far from over—all you've done here tonight is paint a massive bulls-eye right on top of LDS. Every soldier in Academia will be hunting you down from this time forward."

With great effort, she twisted her neck the right way round, the joints making a horrible popping noise as she did so. "How does it make you feel," sneered the marionette as she began to stand up, "knowing that you've signed the _death warrant_ of an entire _dimension_?"

Masumi's foot connected with Dr. Grimm's ceramic torso before either of them had realized she'd done it. The puppet tumbled back to the ground, sending clouds of pulverized debris every which way.

"Shut up," Masumi snarled. "I'm not afraid of you anymore. You will never touch me, or my friends, _ever again!_ "

"Masumi," Yaiba said, starting forward, "what—"

But the Fusion Duelist was no longer listening to him. Her free hand had closed around Dr. Grimm's neck, hauling the broken marionette bodily into the air until she was at eye level.

"Now get out of our city, _monster_ ," hissed Masumi, making a fist with her other hand—the one wearing her Duel Disk—as she stared into those dead green eyes. "Get out of our world!"

Her fist drew back, ready to connect. "And _get the hell out of my head, you bitch!_ "

The facial tattoos on Dr. Grimm's body suddenly flashed, and Masumi hesitated. She saw, once again, that accursed word, burned into her mind, never to leave her again—

—she remembered a final memory—the story of a man creating a monster—

" _… merely speaking this_ _truth_ _…this one single word … was what gave life …_ "

—no, a servant, she had said, only it had grown too powerful—

" _… more powerful, and more in danger of destroying his home and village …_ "

— _what had he done_ , she wondered, _how had he saved them_ —

And suddenly she understood.

…

 **"** ** _MÆTH!_** **"**

…

Before anyone could stop her, Masumi's arm had lunged forward as the shriek left her throat. Her Duel Disk's blade activated once more, slicing through the air—

—and into the eye of Dr. Gwendolyn Grimm.

Masumi heard the Psychic Duelist's scream of agonized fury howling throughout the alley as the puppet's porcelain face cracked from the force of the stabbing blow, deafening her—but still her arm stayed where it was, the blade of her Duel Disk lodged in the crumbling face of the puppet—

Suddenly, several things happened at once. The alley disappeared from Masumi's vision, flung out of her sight and into a room she had seen only twice before in her life, tucked away on the third floor of the Leo Duel School. Dr. Grimm's office-turned-apartment, no longer bathed in the warm light of the sun reflecting off the sparkling sea, was now shrouded in the darkness of the night sky. Its sole tenant, through whose gaze Masumi now saw, was dashing to her feet, breathing heavily—

Then, the scene disappeared as quickly as it had come, dispelled with a flash of light and a massive BANG that threw Masumi backward as if she'd taken a punch from one of her _Gem-Knights_. The puppet of Dr. Grimm had exploded, porcelain fragments raining down upon the victorious Duelists, suddenly too weary to celebrate their triumph even for an instant. Masumi could only stare through her fading vision as a vaguely human shape of shadowy fire remained in its place, meeting her gaze defiantly—before it, too, was erased from her sight.

In that last moment, before the final blow had connected, Masumi had remembered the story Wendy had told her in their first encounter—of the ancient Golem made by a man using that ancient, life-giving inscription; how when the town came to fear it, the man erased the first part of the word, leaving only "death." Now, the story had repeated itself; the Golem that had haunted her had crumbled into dust; as far as Masumi was concerned, it was finally dead.

A rumbling noise arose from all around them. Without any trace of fear, Masumi and the others knew this was the last time; the world around them all was beginning to crumble and crack. Steel beams crumpled, surviving windows shattered, and the brick walls that had survived that final attack toppled down around them. None of them cared enough to dodge it—it was a dream, after all; with the source of most of the dream's elements no longer inside the dream to maintain it, that dream was now beginning to collapse.

Masumi felt a slow smile form across her face as she came to understand this, even as she felt the rubble crush her body. Even in her last few moments of consciousness, though, the pain did not trouble her—it was little more than a persistent knock on the door, disturbing her from a well-deserved rest.

Then, almost without her knowledge, that vague sense of pain had left her, and Masumi knew instinctively that everyone was back where she belonged, in a place that she knew to be _real_.

* * *

 **A/N: Towards the last few hundred words of this chapter, I suddenly realized I only started this story six months ago. It boggles my mind that I've churned out so much material in such a comparatively short time.**

 **Still … writing this Duel was physically exhausting. There's little more I can say beyond that—only that I'm glad it's finally done, and that I hope I've learned my lesson: the next time I want to plan a six-against-one Battle Royale on my own, be prepared to do a** ** _hell_** **of a lot of editing.**

 **There'll be one more chapter to wrap things up, and this will** ** _finally_** **be complete. Thanks for reading! - K**


	13. XIII

XIII

Consciousness came agonizingly slow to Masumi.

The first of it that she registered was the faint, slightly pinkish-orange light that often comes from looking at the sun through closed eyes. She could not move a single muscle in her body—every inch of her body was numb, even her eyelids; they remained closed as her other senses slowly began to interpret her surroundings.

A pressing sensation enveloped her body, from the back of her neck, both sides of her skull, and all the way down to the heels of her feet. It was the softest kind of firm—or the firmest kind of soft?—telling her straightaway that she wasn't lying on the hard floor of Fuyu's planetarium anymore. Within the all-consuming numbness, Masumi could feel a slight pinching sensation in various points around her chest, along with both wrists and the crook of her right elbow; they almost felt as though something was itching at the skin from the inside.

Had someone taken her home, then? If so, it didn't smell like any home she'd visited—and certainly not her own; the air smelled of far too much disinfectant and rubbing alcohol. No … it was too sterile for anyone to want to live here—not unless they went to insane lengths to keep any germs out of—

And then she heard the faint noise in her right ear, just now coming into sharper detail. Masumi had watched too many medical dramas not to know what it was—or for that matter, where she was right now.

 _Hospital_ … she realized.

The heart monitor next to her continued its steady, unrelenting _beep-beep-beep_ , and for the longest time it was all that Masumi chose to hear; the single monotonous sound was causing a flood of images to rage in her mind. They raced at her, jumbled, out of order—the Duel—the city— _æmæth_ —Dr. Grimm— _Shaddolls_ —Hokuto—

The beeping was getting quicker.

 _Then … it was real_ , a small voice was beginning to say in Masumi's head. _That wasn't a dream … that really happened …_

Her eyes snapped open almost without her awareness of the fact; it took her several moments to register the square-tiled plaster ceiling above her, just as sterilized as the rest of the room around her. With great effort, Masumi managed to swivel her eyes enough for her to get a wider view of where exactly she was.

It was definitely a hospital, she now knew; the layout of the space could mean nothing else but that. Beds lay on either side of her, and the size of the room suggested there were more across from her—enough space, she guessed, for half a dozen beds. Each of them had the same stiff mattresses, the same off-white, over-starched sheets—even the same pale blue blankets. There was no sign of either doctors or nurses—they must all be elsewhere, some part of her thought—and if there was a clock, it was out of her field of vision; she had no idea what time it might be, and the blinds had been drawn on the windows, preventing her from seeing any light on the outside world.

Nestled inside each of the pale blue blankets was a person—or at least, the one on Masumi's right. She could only assume the others across the room were occupied as well—for laying next to that bed was the telltale bamboo _shinai_ of Yaiba; the spiky brown hair of its owner stuck outward in all directions. He lay face-up, his eyes closed and unmoving—but Masumi's eyes immediately flicked to the heart monitor above his bed; it, too, was beeping gently.

She sagged in her bed, relieved. _He's made it, then … they all made it …_ She wanted desperately to cheer, to smile, but her body was still unwilling to move …

A few long moments passed before Masumi discovered that some of the numbness in her body was beginning to disappear. She could gradually feel the needles that she now knew had been stuck inside her wrists and her elbow, intravenously injecting fluids into her via the drip chamber next to her bed, and which she could see next to Yaiba's supine form. Moments after that, after taking a deep breath of the sterilized, filtered, processed air of the room, Masumi was aware of the suction cups planted on her chest and stomach, each one fitted with wires that she presumed ran to the heart monitor that was measuring her vitals.

 _Now what's this?_ Her restored sense of touch had discovered something most unusual in her left hand—and then only because she had unconsciously flexed her fingers, allowing her to feel the object that had been placed in them. Unable to turn or raise her arm, Masumi—through another herculean effort—managed to feel enough of the object with her fingertips to make an educated guess.

 _A button?_

She pressed it; it made a soft _click_ that nevertheless felt loud in her ear.

Nothing happened.

Masumi waited for a few moments, then pressed it again, then several more times in quick succession—but still nothing happened. She could not fathom what its purpose was, and so, unable to do anything else, Masumi felt she had little choice but to lie back on her stiff mattress and soft-firm pillow to try to put her mind at ease.

That feeling lasted all of sixty seconds before the door to the room burst open with an almighty _BANG_ —and what lay behind it gave a suddenly wide-awake Masumi the biggest shock of her life.

* * *

Masumi's father acted almost without thinking.

When he looked back on it later, he still couldn't say for himself whether the total lack of sleep he'd suffered tonight might have had anything to do with what he did. But between the constant fretting, the looming possibility that he might never be able to speak to his daughter again, and the call he'd placed to his wife while she was on night shift, the idea had literally come to him only a few seconds ago. He'd been so distraught that even if he knew it would end up doing more harm than good, he no longer cared—so when a voice from above had literally told him where Masumi was, he'd seized his chance, and leapt out from his seat like a madman.

 _I just want to see her_ , he'd kept on saying to himself, over and over again, as he dodged the doctors, nurses, and orderlies that pursued him throughout the hallway, towards the room where he'd heard in passing his only child was staying— _ward one thirty-nine_ , he'd heard the PA system say, _paging Doctor Yayoi, ward one-thirty nine_ —

The sterile walls of the hallway flowed past him as he sprinted past stunned onlookers, doctors and patients alike. His eyes flitted here and there, looking for the room number …

121 … 133 … 139!

His shoes skidded on the waxed tile, and he almost fell over himself as his fumbling hand twisted the doorknob. The instant of his loss of balance had cost him; the door sprang open, kicked open by his stumbling foot, at the exact moment that a pair of the orderlies had caught up to him. Before he knew what was happening, his arms had been pinned behind his back, and he was forced to his knees, which hit the tiled floor hard enough to make him wince—

But just as they'd restrained him, Masumi's father felt their grip slackening—not nearly enough to get free, but enough that it didn't feel nearly so painful when he struggled to get free.

He resisted for a few moments longer before it occurred to him that there had to be a reason why these orderlies weren't fighting back. An instant later, when he looked up at their faces, he noticed their eyes were trained on something directly ahead of them. He followed their gaze—and saw—

" … Father?"

* * *

Masumi didn't remember too much about what happened next—only that her father seemed to cross the distance between them in a blur—somehow managing in the process to escape the orderlies' grip in that feat of strength only parents are capable of under extreme periods of stress—and sink to his knees beside her, eyes shining with tears.

"Oh, thank heavens you're awake." He could barely be heard over his sobbing. "When I heard what had happened to you—oh, I was so worried!"

And ignoring all else, he sank his face into Masumi's shoulder—beyond all speech, beyond all control, inconsolable with tearful laughter at the sight of his only child … awake, alive, and armed with a smile as bright as the sun.

Slowly, gently, Masumi raised her arms to the best of her ability, and embraced her bawling father. She refused to let go for a full minute, so happy was she to see him—and so she remained unaware of the growing scene that was unfolding in this increasingly tiny ward as more people streamed in.

One of those people bustled straight for Masumi—a motherly-looking woman in her late thirties that she took to be the doctor in charge of the room. "I don't believe it," she'd managed to gasp out upon seeing her; she, too, looked torn between shock and relieved laughter. "I came in here thinking I'd need to have a nurse replace the batteries in another call button again—but it turns out it was working fine all along!"

 _Call button …_ Masumi felt the device she'd been holding in her hand. So something had happened when she'd pressed it after all. It had sent a signal to this doctor, and alerted her to come here—Father must have followed them, she thought, he must have known where I was—

" … How long?" she managed to say. Her throat felt very dry.

"Seven, maybe eight hours," the doctor said, inspecting the drip chamber whose fluids were being introduced into Masumi's body. "The parents of that boy over there called an ambulance to their house last night when they found you unresponsive. All _five_ of you, actually," she added, glancing around the room. "I've never had an emergency where five healthy children fall into a coma for no apparent reason … "

"What's going on here?"

Masumi's head whipped around so quickly that her neck cricked, and the shot of pain that flared up instantly after proved a quick reminder to never move so quickly after having woken up from a coma.

But the sight of a stirring Toudou Yaiba had made Masumi forget about all the pain. "Where are we?" croaked the Synchro user, blinking his bleary eyes, but otherwise apparently unable to move.

A diamond-bright smile plastered itself on the doctor's face. "Oh, wonderful—so you're awake too!" she beamed, immediately crossing over to Yaiba and checking his own vitals, while several white-clad nurses saw to Masumi. "You're in the Maiami City Medical Center—you've been unconscious for the past seven hours or so … "

Her words faded into fog as Masumi gradually began to sit up in her bed, with aid from the nurses. Across the room, she saw Hotene, Shen, and Fuyu—each of them lying face-up in a bed just like her, with IV drips in their arms just like hers. Alone of them, Shen appeared to be showing signs of life; several nurses had seen, and were tending to him now. Hotene and Fuyu, meanwhile, remained lying where they were, completely still—their signs of survival only indicated by the regular _pinging_ noise of their own respective heart monitors.

She slumped in her bed again. _They're all okay …_ she repeated. It had only been seven hours since they'd first fallen asleep—not a terribly long time to be in a coma, but long enough that there might have been—

A sudden jolt coursed through her spine. "Phone," she croaked out. No one appeared to have heard. "I need a phone!" she said more loudly. "Please—it's very important!"

Her father quickly produced his mobile, fingers ready to dial. "Who do you want me to call?"

* * *

"Thank you for calling the Leo Duel School," said a cool female voice on the other end of the line. "How can I help you?"

"This is Koutsu Masumi. Could you put me through to Dr. Grimm's office? The number I have isn't working." Masumi had indeed tried the number Wendy had left her two days prior, but had only gotten a dial tone—followed by an unapologetic message stating that the number was no longer in service. That had forced her to call the front office of LDS—which, hopefully, would bear more success.

"Please hold while I transfer your call," said the woman at the reception desk. Masumi, having no other choice, was forced to settle down and listen to the static-laced music that filtered through the speaker of her father's phone.

After the longest sixty seconds she'd ever lived through, she finally heard the line reconnect—but the voice on the other end of the line was not Wendy.

"Masumi … did you not hear the news?" The woman at the reception desk was speaking to her instead, though in a much quieter voice than before—and was Masumi hearing things, or did she sound _terrified?_

"What do you mean?" An unpleasant sensation began to grow in Masumi's insides.

There was an audible swallow. "Wendy's _gone_ ," said the receptionist in a bare whisper. "No one can find her—nobody's even seen her since the night shift late last night. It's like she just vanished from the whole city."

Masumi's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"I don't blame you for being shocked," the receptionist said sympathetically. "You know the chairwoman tried to pay her a visit this morning? Himika- _san_ was in there for only about five seconds, but she did _not_ look happy when she came out. We've been hearing rumors of a police investigation all morning. I think she's suspecting foul play."

Masumi grit her teeth, feeling the sensation in her stomach fester briefly before finally receding. "That sounds about right," she grunted under her breath.

"What was that?"

Masumi thought briefly about telling her what she knew, but a part of her knew that a lowly receptionist, however understanding of her plight she might be, would never believe her; at any rate, if Himika had been to Dr. Grimm's quarters, then it was likely that she'd found something in there, and would probably address the LDS staff and students at any rate later on.

"Never mind," Masumi eventually sighed. She was about to hang up when a thought occurred to her—classes were due to resume tomorrow! There was no way she'd be able to make it back in time after a seven-hour coma!

"Listen," she said, "I'm in hospital right now, and—"

"There's no need to worry," the receptionist said kindly. "They called ahead and filled us in on your situation. We're all glad to hear you're okay, Masumi. Everyone's hoping you all feel better soon."

Masumi couldn't help but smile at that. It felt as though a warm balloon was inflating inside her.

"All right, I should get back to reception before my boss thinks I've taken an early break," the woman said. "I heard Himika-san might want to see you later on in the week."

The balloon suddenly deflated as soon as it had appeared. _I thought she might_ , a suddenly sour Masumi thought. "Thanks for letting me know," she said, managing to sound as carefully neutral as her condition would allow her.

"Of course. Good luck to you!"

"You, too," Masumi murmured. "Bye." And she hung up, returning the mobile to her father with hands that felt as heavy as lead.

"What was that about?" her father asked, looking puzzled.

Masumi didn't know how to answer him. She settled back into her bed, suddenly feeling more tired than when she'd woken up in this room. They were all safe, she knew. Yaiba and Shen, Hotene and Fuyu—they'd Dueled for their lives over the course of this whole night, and had come out the stronger for it.

But Dr. Grimm was still out there, she knew. Someone like her couldn't just vanish. Masumi set her jaw; _yes_ , she thought, as her suddenly heavy eyelids began to close without her meaning to, _she's still out there … somewhere …_

* * *

There wasn't much more Masumi could do after that; she could only wait for her body and mind to return to its full strength. Being in a coma for any length of time, even a matter of hours, carried risks to the victim's body and mind—risks that were further compounded by the strange circumstances that had accompanied them. Fortunately, those same circumstances had been able to help them recover more quickly than anyone had anticipated; indeed, by that afternoon, the doctor in charge of the ward had announced that Masumi and the others were officially out of any further medical danger—though they would still have to remain in hospital until the doctor judged them healthy enough to leave under their own power.

After Masumi had contacted LDS, her father had excused herself from the room after apologizing profusely to the orderlies for causing the scene he had. From there, he'd presumably gone to call everyone else's parents to tell them the good news, because he'd returned five minutes later with Fuyu's parents, Yaiba's parents, and three other people she didn't know, but quickly assumed were Hotene's parents—from how they'd made a beeline for her bed, holding each other tightly as they stared at the still-supine form of their daughter—and Shen's _sifu_ , who'd exchanged a brief, muted conversation in rapid Chinese with his student (in which the Synchro user had glanced at Masumi several times) before briefly embracing him and departing without a word. On his way out, he'd looked at Masumi for a few seconds, nodded in apparent approval, and disappeared out the door before Masumi could say goodbye.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by in a blur for Masumi. Not that they didn't go by quickly; it was only that so little happened while she continued to recover that there was little else worth remembering.

Yaiba, who had suffered the effects of Dr. Grimm's psychic powers the least out of the five Duelists, had been the first to be discharged. He'd collected his things on the evening of the day Masumi had first woken up, and stayed just long enough to promise her that he'd visit her after school, before his parents escorted him out of the ward.

As the digital clock near Masumi's bed flicked to 3:00 the next day, Yaiba entered the ward, true to his word—though minus his bamboo _shinai_. He was walking with a distinctly reduced swagger that made him look vastly different from the cocky Synchro Duelist Masumi had once known.

He sat down beside Masumi, and for a long time neither of them said anything. Finally, Yaiba spoke. "How do you feel?" Something in his voice made Masumi think he wasn't asking about the state of her body.

She slowly sat up; her muscles didn't feel quite so achy—she could move under her own power, but wasn't quite comfortable with taking any steps around the ward unassisted yet. "I … don't know," the Fusion user managed. "I'm glad it's over, but … I'm not really sure."

Yaiba produced a card from his pocket. Inside it was the signatures of what looked like every person in the Fusion circuit—and quite a few from elsewhere as well. "Thanks," Masumi could only say, smiling at the sight of so many names wishing her to get well soon.

She stuck the card on the tiny table next to her bed. "I'm glad you're back on your feet," she said to Yaiba.

The Synchro Duelist sighed. "We were lucky," he muttered—and again, Masumi got the idea that he wasn't just talking about anyone's physical health. "I heard Shen got discharged an hour ago," he said suddenly, nodding to the empty bed that his training partner had occupied until just recently, "and that Fuyu's parents might take him home later today if they give him a clean bill of health."

His eyes lingered upon the sleeping Xyz Duelist for a brief moment before they flicked to another empty bed, in the other corner the room. "They'll have to keep Hotene here for a little longer, though," he said quietly. The tiny Duelist had been transferred to a different room not long after Yaiba had left—Masumi had heard something about Hotene's young age being a factor in recovering from the coma she'd been placed in, to say nothing of the mental torture Dr. Grimm had put her through.

"She'll recover," Yaiba was saying in the meantime, "but after what she got put through, I doubt she'll be going to any trampoline parks for a while. For this to happen, when she was so young … " His mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, as if working up the courage to say something—before he sighed. "We were lucky," he said again.

Masumi agreed with him. Watching Hotene being carried out of her bed and onto a gurney like a wet sack of grain had been a disheartening sight—even though she'd known at that point that Hotene wasn't in danger anymore.

"I should never have dragged you guys into this," she said softly, clutching her sides tightly and bowing her head. "This was all _my_ fault."

Yaiba immediately lay a hand on her shoulder. "You never dragged anyone, Masumi," he soothed. "We all wanted to help you. Don't blame yourself for any of this."

He smiled at her—a genuine smile, not his usual devil-may-care smirk—and for some reason, seeing that made Masumi feel a little better about herself. But just as suddenly, though, that dark pit in her stomach had opened again; an image of Dr. Grimm had appeared in her mind—a puppet with green hair, burning with dark fire—as if to taunt her, and remind her yet again that she was still out there, somewhere.

Possibly Yaiba had noticed, because after a long moment of silence, he suddenly spoke up again, "You know … I was thinking, in class today, before I came to see you. Do you remember what the Chairwoman said, Masumi—at the end of the Maiami Championship? 'The next Lancer may be one of you'?"

Masumi thought back to the address Himika had made upon cancelling the tournament—it hadn't even been two weeks since that day, a part of her thought, yet with everything that happened, it felt like two _years_.

"Yeah," she said. "I remember."

She sat there for a moment longer before the rest of Yaiba's words suddenly sank in. "Wait," she said abruptly. "You're not suggesting we—"

Yaiba held up his hands defensively. "All I'm saying is that someone's got to protect this city when the Lancers aren't around," he said. "We just took out a Duelist with psychic powers from another dimension. I think we could be those protectors. You and me … even Hokuto, if he comes back …

" _When_ he comes back." Masumi's voice was suddenly hard as steel. She didn't know what had come over her—but the events of the dream were still fresh in her mind … as was her memory of Hokuto. More than that, however, Yaiba's suggestion seemed to have lit a fire under her mind; entire new vistas of possibility had suddenly begun to open up before Masumi—glimpses and flashes, like she was viewing the world through the facets of a diamond … a new fighting force against the invaders of Academia … a chance to fight Dr. Grimm once more for revenge …

"He _will_ be back," the Fusion user said resolutely. "We'll see him again, no matter what." She looked Yaiba right in the eye, and the glint she saw in that amber gaze told her everything.

"I'll ask Himika about it as soon as I'm well enough to go back to class," Masumi told him, before adding, "I've got a few things I need to talk to her about anyway," softly enough that Yaiba either didn't hear her or chose not to press the issue. "Yeah," she said more clearly, "we could be her new group of Lancers … "

Yaiba grinned. "Now _that_ sounds like the Masumi I know," he chuckled, before finally standing up. "I'm going to head over to Shen's and practice. I was lucky that I didn't miss any school—but I don't want to get left in the dust. Want me to pick up your homework?" he asked.

Masumi nodded. "I'd like that. See you around," she said, waving at Yaiba, who returned the gesture along with a jaunty salute. He stepped through the door, and was gone.

* * *

The thought that Masumi had the potential to become a Lancer sustained her for the next two days of her recovery, as she lay alone in ward one thirty-nine. Almost overnight, it had risen to the forefront of her mind; it had become the one force that drove her every waking moment. Even as she completed her online homework on a computer helpfully supplied by the hospital staff, Masumi found that she could think of nothing else but whether or not she had it in her to become another of Akaba Reiji's elite soldiers.

She'd talked about the subject with Fuyu the previous evening, shortly after he'd been given his own clean bill of health, and before his parents had arrived to take him home. "I don't know if I could do that," he'd rasped to Masumi, his blue eyes so wide that they'd been in danger of falling out of their sockets. "Being a soldier … that's a lot to ask for someone as young as us … "

"Are you worried you won't have what it takes?" Masumi had asked him. "I think Hokuto would—"

But the Xyz Duelist had shaken his head. "I'm more worried about what it'll take out of me," had been his reply—though he'd smiled briefly at the mention of Hokuto's name. "It's just … I can't ever see myself becoming … well, someone like Kurosaki … "

Even now, his words continued to strike a chord with Masumi, knowing what she knew about that battle-hardened Duelist. Since then, she hadn't stopped thinking about Kurosaki's Duel with Shiun'in Sora, and the damage the two Duelists had caused to the Action Field. Perhaps it was true, then, that Sora was another soldier—but what about Kurosaki? Had he been forced to become a soldier as well, in order to fight off other Fusion Duelists like Dr. Grimm? Was this, then, why he'd looked so reluctant to be a part of LDS, in the days leading up to the Maiami Championship—had Reiji press-ganged him into the Lancers after seeing the destruction he was capable of?

As it happened, she didn't have to wait long to find out.

The door to the ward opened presently, admitting a pair of nurses. "Hi there, Masumi!" one of them greeted her. "Good news for you—Dr. Yayoi's given you a clean bill of health!"

Masumi's heart rose. "That's wonderful," she smiled. "Does my father know?"

"We called him shortly before we came up to the ward," the other nurse said, disconnecting Masumi from the drip chamber before gently removing the needles from her arms. "He's at work right now, but he told us it was okay to drop you off at his shop and take you home from there. Is that all right with you?"

"Of course," Masumi replied once the gauze had been bandaged to her skin. She winced as she flexed her arms experimentally, feeling the stings of the needles slowly fading from her skin.

"That's excellent," beamed the nurse. "Just let us know whenever you're ready to leave—we'll have one of the patient transport drivers take you there."

She made a silent "oh!" "By the way," she added, "you have a visitor."

Masumi, however, did not need to know that—she'd come to that same conclusion as soon as she'd locked eyes with the person who'd just appeared on the threshold of the door.

The ice-blue stare of Akaba Himika was as frosty as ever, but today something else lurked inside them besides their cold fire. The iciness of her gaze seemed … softer, now—almost contrite, Masumi wanted to think—but it was the last thing on her mind right now.

The nurses, noticing Masumi's sudden silence, turned to see who she was looking at, and promptly jumped. "H-Himika- _san_!" one of them managed to stammer out. "We … assumed you'd be waiting for Masumi in the visitor's area!"

"It's a bit too noisy out there for my liking," the Chairwoman of LDS said coolly. Her eyes did not move a millimeter from Masumi's own. "I'm not exactly here on a social call, and I'd been hoping to speak to Masumi in some degree of privacy." Her stare briefly flickered to the nurses. "If you would excuse us, please?"

The nurses exchanged nervous glances with one another before nodding. "We'll wait outside the ward," the senior of the pair said. "We'll put a privacy filter around the door."

"Thank you," Himika said, nodding once to the two nurses before they disappeared out the door—leaving Masumi alone with the most powerful woman in all of Maiami City.

Neither of them spoke for what felt like a long time. Masumi was wrestling with a full dozen different questions in her mind, unsure as to which one she ought to ask first. Yet Himika, too—much to her surprise—seemed as though she was also holding something back; she was chewing her tongue, and her brow kept furrowing and unfurrowing every few seconds.

It was Himika, eventually, who decided to speak first. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better," she said. "I spoke with the front desk after you first contacted them three days ago. I imagine you heard the news from them?"

Masumi nodded. "Dr. Grimm was behind the alterations to the database, then?" she asked.

"System security was able to trace the IP address behind the changes to a personal laptop computer in her lodgings on the third floor," replied Himika. "This was not some spur-of-the-moment decision—she planned this out _carefully_. She didn't use a computer registered to LDS, and she wiped her tracks _very_ thoroughly. In fact," she added grimly, "I think the only reason Dr. Grimm didn't get away with it was that she was using the building network to make the changes. Once she realized we'd driven her into a corner, she had no choice but to flee."

Masumi had been biting her tongue for the longest time—she had to say her piece. "She didn't flee because of that."

Himika looked up sharply. "What do you mean by that? Are you saying you know something about Wendy Grimm that I don't?"

The Fusion user bit her lip. "Before I tell you, there's something I'd like you to tell me." She looked Himika in the eye. "I think I deserve to know."

The chairwoman of LDS stared back at her without so much as flinching, and for a dangerous few seconds Masumi worried that she might chew her out for her backtalk.

But surprisingly, Himika relented. "I suppose you do," she said. "Go ahead, then. I won't hold anything back."

Masumi got to her feet, still staring at her headmistress. "Tell me _everything_ you know … about Kurosaki Shun."

* * *

Over the course of the next half hour, that was exactly what Himika did—and true to her word, she did not hold anything back. In those thirty minutes, Masumi learned more than she'd ever wanted to learn about Kurosaki Shun, Shiun'in Sora … and too many other things to name. She learned of the four parallel dimensions—the Standard, where she lived, along with three others, each devoted to a specific type of Extra Deck monster: Fusion, Synchro … and Xyz, which Masumi now knew to be the ravaged home of Kurosaki. She learned how Academia ruled over the Fusion Dimension with an iron fist, and that others like Gwendolyn Grimm sought to unite these dimensions for reasons as unclear as whatever means might be necessary to achieve such a goal. And finally, Masumi learned that Himika's son, along with the Lancers he commanded, were currently in the Synchro Dimension, presumably to find a way to fight off the threat of Academia.

When at last Himika finished speaking, Masumi found herself with a massive headache. All this had been too much to take in. She'd had to steady herself simply to keep from falling off the bed in shock. It had been enough that Kurosaki, the same Duelist who had defeated the best of LDS in one fell swoop, had later become their ally—and all it had cost Reiji and Himika was the precious memories of the three top Duelists in their school.

She had pointed this out to Himika in barely-restrained anger; the chairwoman had barely flinched at all but for a tired sigh. "My son was … well aware of the destruction that Kurosaki was capable of causing," she said. "Your memories of him were erased because he had left us with no other choice. Considering the Duel he put on against you, Yaiba, and Hokuto, you would no longer have seen him as your friend—and Kurosaki has been through too much to be able to distinguish the subtle gradations between _friends_ and _enemies_."

"So which ones are we, then?" Masumi said, before she could stop herself. "You took away our memories! You made us live a lie! What kinds of friends do that to one another—what kind of friends let that happen?!"

Himika did not blink. "As I said, there are _subtle_ gradations. Given what has happened in the time since, I am … _willing_ to acknowledge, in hindsight, that altering your memories of Kurosaki was not necessary, since he ultimately proved himself loyal to our cause. Think of me what you will— _but_." Her eyes narrowed, and her voice gained an edge that fell just short of openly hostile. "I remain your headmistress. You would do well to _remember that_."

She exhaled. "That is twice I have helped you, now. You have already helped me once, however inadvertently, by alerting me to the underhanded tactics of Gwendolyn Grimm. I will make sure that you are commended for this, if you wish it. But if you want to move one step closer to being a … _friend_ with me, then you must help me once more, and tell me everything _you_ know about _her_."

And so it was Masumi's turn to talk, now; the words spilled from her mouth in an unending torrent, from her first moments of the dream that haunted her and the _Shaddoll_ monsters that she faced inside them, to her sessions with Wendy, her encounters with Hotene, Shen, and Fuyu—and last but by no means least, the final Duel in which Masumi had finally broken her hold over Dr. Grimm and her psychic powers.

By the time Masumi was done talking, her throat was quite dry, and Himika took the opportunity to get in edgewise when she reached for a glass of water on her bedside table. "Masumi," she said slowly, "what you and your friends have had to face over these past few days is far beyond what most Duelists could handle in their entire _careers_. For that, you have my admiration—and if I say so myself, I think if Reiji was here to listen to everything you just told me, he would have recommended all of you for the Lancers in a heartbeat."

Only the knowledge of who she was talking to kept Masumi from spitting out her water in shock. "T-the Lancers?" she spluttered. "I mean … I remember what you said after you cancelled the tournament—'the next Lancer may be one of you'. Yaiba and I talked about that a couple days ago, even." She wiped her mouth. "Do you think I'm—?"

"I'm not making any promises," Himika said to her, "but the Lancers are the Lancers because they faced a challenge above and beyond what was expected of them. They were given the chance to participate in a tournament—instead, they had the honor of saving our city from invasion. You, Masumi, put together a counterstrategy to fight against a Deck you'd never seen in your life, recruited Duelists you'd never known in your life to make said counterstrategy work—and fought powers you'd never before known were possible." She leaned in close. "And you _won_."

Masumi had no idea what to say.

"Obviously, I can't speak for you or Reiji," Himika said, "but I think the Lancers would be impressed by that."

Masumi still had no idea what to say.

At length, Himika stood up, perhaps sensing the Fusion user's total loss for words. "On that note, I think I should be off, now," she said. "My offer remains on the table, Masumi. Take it at your leisure—discuss it with your friends, if you feel the need. And"—a strangely serene smile appeared on her face—"if a time ever comes when you should decide to prove your worth to me, stop by my office, and we'll discuss your … _career opportunities_ from there."

She rose from her seat. "Until then," she said, the smile having vanished as quickly as it had appeared, "I expect to see you back in class tomorrow morning, Masumi." She inclined her head. "Good day."

The chairwoman of LDS turned on her heel, and swept out of the door before Masumi had a chance to collect her very confused thoughts.

* * *

Ten minutes later, having changed out of her hospital nightgown and back into her regular clothes, Masumi left closed ward one thirty-nine with a slightly springier step than she'd remembered having in a while. Maybe there had been a time where she'd felt this way once—maybe before the Maiami Championship, or even before her visit to You Show, where everything had started—but it seemed so long ago now that Masumi could no longer say for certain.

Himika's words were still ringing through her head as she told the nurses she'd be ready to leave momentarily—although not without making one last stop. Masumi knew that, with her fifteenth birthday coming closer and closer by the day, that she would have to make a choice in her life—seek a peaceful life in the city under the tutelage of her father … or fight for the chance to live that life so that no invader would dare disrupt it again.

For now, though, she would take the chairwoman's offer under advisement—and her first source of advice was on the other side of the door that the nurses were leading her into.

"Hiya, Masu- _chan_!"

Masumi couldn't help but crack a grin; even after everything Menoko Hotene had been through—after being tortured to near-insanity, conditioned into the slave of a psychopath, and resuscitated from a coma, all at nine years old—the tiny Duelist was still smiling.

"I'm glad to see you're doing okay," Masumi said gently, perching herself on the chair next to Hotene's bed—or rather, the mass of stuffed animals that littered the bed; Hotene's perpetual grin was barely visible between a sleek otter and a _chibi_ -style pig. "I was worried about you when they had you moved to a different ward—I don't think there's any denying that out of all of us, you got hurt the worst from Dr. Grimm."

"Mm," Hotene shrugged nonchalantly, unable to say much more owing to the huge scoop of ice cream she'd just shoveled into her wide mouth. "You made it all better, though, dincha? She won't hurt us, 'cause you beat her."

"I suppose she won't," Masumi said, rather softer than she'd intended, "and I suppose I did." But something was telling her otherwise; Dr. Grimm had made sure that none of their lives would ever be the same from here on out. For good or for ill, this was only the beginning of a long road ahead—no matter how much anyone tried to hide it.

Hotene tore her gaze from the tufted ears of a stuffed kitten she'd been examining. "You okay, Masu- _chan_? You don't sound too good."

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Masumi lied. Then, a moment later, "Hotene … can I ask you something?"

"You just did," giggled the tiny Duelist, earning a tinkling laugh from Masumi as she realized the joke. "So what's up?"

"Well," Masumi said, wondering how best to explain her predicament to a nine-year-old girl, "imagine that you've got a pretty happy life. You're doing great at school, you've got great friends to spend time with, and you've got a great future ahead of you. But then something happens to you that makes you wonder if you're happy with your life as things are right now—or if you want to look at something new for a change … to find out if it makes you even happier than you are today."

Hotene wolfed down another mountain of ice cream before she finally spoke. "Trying new things is good," she said. "The nurse lady said I could have all the ice cream I wanted while they made me better—but she said this was the only kind they had, an' I never had it before. So I tried it, an' I liked it!" She extricated the remains of her bowl from the nest of stuffed animals. "Want some? I bet you never tried it either!"

Masumi raised her eyebrow as she accepted the bowl. "They let you have ice cream after what just happened to you?" she asked. "That … doesn't seem safe." _I hope they at least had the sense to make sure it was sugar-free_ , she thought.

"The nurse lady said it was a lot safer than jumping on the bed, too," Hotene said, pouting as Masumi did a double take. "I miss Trampo-Land," she said. "I wish I didn't have to stay here, so I could go back there."

"That could be a while, Hotene," Masumi said. "That coma took a lot out of you—and you're younger than any of us. It could be weeks before you're ready to go back to that place."

Suddenly, her face split in a grin. "But when you do, I'll be waiting for you—and next time, I'm going to be ready to beat you!"

It was Hotene's turn to do a double take. Her wide blue eyes bugged as she took in the challenging look on Masumi's face—before she broke out into another fit of the giggles.

"You're so funny, Masu- _chan_!" she gasped out. "Still thinking you can beat me in a Duel!"

Masumi rolled her eyes, not even bothering to hide her smile.

Idly, she took a bite of the ice cream Hotene had been eating, not really bothering to look at what flavor it might have been—and was pleasantly surprised to taste vanilla with a hint of pineapple. Whether it was sugar-free or not, she couldn't tell, but the taste had been unexpected. Not in a bad way, though.

"I think I could get used to this," she muttered as she took another bite.

It wasn't until later, when Masumi was about to say good-bye to Hotene, that she began to wonder if she might have been talking about _more_ than just the ice cream. She would indeed have to make a choice in her life—about whether to accept Himika's offer and become a Lancer, or to continue her life as a student and a jeweler-in-training.

Granted, the choice wouldn't be nearly as easy as trying out a different food or flavor, as Hotene had said, but it was still a choice all the same. Choices came with change, and change would never come easy. The best she could do was to make her choice when the time came, and adapt to the changes that came with it—and perhaps, Masumi thought, the choice she ended up making would change her life for the better. Regardless of what choice she picked, though, she knew that she would never know until she _tried_.

… But, she thought, after seeing the cloudless sky on the other side of Hotene's window, she didn't have to try _today_ , either.

"I'm going to head out now, Hotene," Masumi said, embracing what little of the tiny Duelist she could through all the stuffed animals. "I'll meet my father at work, and see if I can't get him to take the rest of the day off. I want to enjoy this nice day before I have to go back to class"— _before I have to think about where to go from here_ , she added in her head. "Maybe I'll go to Trampo-Land myself, so I can practice for Dueling you again, huh?"

"You can practice all you want, Masu- _chan_!" Hotene retorted, giggling madly. "I'm still gonna beat you, an' I'm still gonna be the best Fusion Duelist in LDS!"

It was Masumi's turn to giggle. "Didn't you hear me last night, Hotene?" she smiled at her. " _I'm_ the best Fusion Duelist who's ever walked through LDS—and the next time I Duel you, I'm going to show you _why_."

"And that"—she winked, before disappearing out of Hotene's room—before stepping out of the hospital, into Maiami City, and into whatever new life awaited her in the future—"is the _truth_."

* * *

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* * *

In another section of the city, deep below its most recognizable structure, someone was placing a call. Once the dial tone sounded, then twice, and finally three times before the call connected.

"It's me." The two words of the speaker conveyed a tone of simultaneous influence and urgency—the archetypal chief executive who reported to superiors of their own, somewhere in the shadows.

"This connection is not secure." This particular superior, though his voice was much softer than that of the person who was contacting him, managed to radiate even _more_ power. "Talk quickly, or you may be discovered."

"I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you earlier." There was a single second of hesitation—just one—but enough for him to choose his words carefully. "Agent 139 has been compromised."

"Recalled without further incident," corrected the voice on the other end of the line. "Her injuries were extensive—a _complete_ neural reconstruction may be impossible—but she was able to deliver her final report without any _further_ complications." A pause. "Do they still believe she acted alone?"

"They are certain of her connection to Academia," the speaker said. There was a touch of smugness to his voice. "But they have no reason to consider the possibility that she had _help_. Thanks to her, phase one is now complete."

"That is a risk we cannot take," his superior said solemnly. "My sources say that complications have arisen in the City." He could practically hear the capital letter emphasized in the single word. "You must be prepared to act at a moment's notice—and be prepared for a quick getaway when you do. I'm counting on you to give us the results we need, Agent 322."

Agent 322 snuck a sidelong glance behind him before he next spoke. "Understood … _Professor_. I'll begin testing immediately." Less than a second later, the call disconnected, leaving behind nothing of the Professor's orders but echoes in his mind, which had already committed them to heart.

There being no further use for them, the privacy screens that surrounded the room were deactivated. Smoky black glass evaporated into its normal clear panes, while the sonic masks and electronic interference that had muffled any words a curious observer might have wanted to overhear switched themselves off at the press of a button.

Agent 322 now rose from his seat, staring out of his darkened office into the gigantic testing chamber on the other side of the glass wall. He admired the many personnel going about their business, along with all the machines and technology that the Leo Corporation had yet to release to the world at large.

It was one such machine, however, that demanded the most of his attention: a seemingly unassuming slab of black glass, exactly nine feet tall, another four wide, and precisely twelve inches deep, situated in the exact center of this enormous technological cave. A single bright light began to shimmer from within the exact center of this machine, shining with all known colors on the spectrum, yet none at all, to rousing cheers from the technicians working on it.

Hours seemed to pass by before Agent 322 finally tore his eyes from the sight, and turned his attention to the pair of cards in his pocket—cards that he himself had had a hand in designing.

 _The Golem may have been more subtle in her work_ , he thought to himself, as he stroked the green-and-yellow edges of those cards, _but I am much more_ efficient _in mine._

 _What she nearly did to five children with sixty cards … I can do to five_ continents _with_ two …

* * *

 **A/N: That's that, then—** ** _(æ)mæth_** **is finally complete! To everyone who read and supported my work, you have my thanks.**

 **So.** ** _Will_** **there be a sequel? To tell you the truth … I don't know right now. That's not to say I haven't made plans; I have a rough foundation for a promising plot—I just don't feel like it's fleshed out to my satisfaction as it is. And then there's the continuing storyline in** ** _ARC-V_** **; with most of the focus away from Masumi and the rest of Standard right now, I'd rather wait until more episodes come out before I act.**

 **I'll work on that when I have the time, but until I feel comfortable with releasing it (and once tax season is over), I'm going to be focusing more on my Elder Scrolls stuff.** ** _(æ)maeth_** **was initially a way to relieve some of the writer's block I was going through while I worked on those stories—as were they, ironically enough—until it morphed into a crazy obsession that just wouldn't go away until I'd penned it all down. By sticking to Elder Scrolls for right now, it's my hope that I can avoid falling into that trap a third time.**

 **Once again, thanks for reading** ** _(æ)mæth_** **, and I hope you enjoyed it! - K**

* * *

List of fic-exclusive cards (chapter of debut appearance in parentheses):

 _Extra Onslaught_ – Action Card (VI)

Each time you Special Summon a monster(s) from the Extra Deck: Draw 1 card. During the End Phase of the turn this card was activated: Take 500 damage for each monster you Special Summoned from the Extra Deck this turn.

 _Tranquility_ – Action Card (VI)

Target 1 monster your opponent controls; its original ATK is halved until the End Phase of the turn.

 _Cosmo Salvo_ – Action Card (VII)

Inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each Spell Card activated this turn (including this card).

 _Shaddoll Snake_ (DARK/Spellcaster-Type/Level 2/ATK 900/DEF 100) (X)

FLIP: You can target 1 _Shaddoll_ card in your Graveyard; shuffle it into the Deck.

If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a card effect: You can add it to your hand, but banish it during the End Phase if it was used as Fusion Material for a Summon. You must have a _Shaddoll_ monster in your Graveyard to activate and to resolve this effect. You can only use 1 _Shaddoll Snake_ effect per turn, and only once that turn.

 _Skill Fusion_ – Normal Trap Card (X)

If you control 2 or more Fusion Monsters, you can activate this card from your hand. Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by using monsters from the field or your hand as Fusion Materials. During either player's turn: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by banishing monsters from the field or your Graveyard as Fusion Materials. You can only use each effect of _Skill Fusion_ once per turn.

 _Shadow of Fusion_ – Normal Trap Card (X, XI)

During the turn this card is activated: You can make any attacks made by Fusion Monsters you control become direct attacks. During your Main Phase: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; this turn, any attacks made by Fusion Monsters you control become direct attacks. You can only use 1 effect of _Shadow of Fusion_ per turn, and only once that turn.

 _Saber Deflect_ – Normal Trap (XII)

When an opponent's monster declares an attack, if you control an _X-Saber_ monster: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls, except the attacking monster; the attacking monster attacks it instead, and you proceed to damage calculation. Cards and effects cannot be activated in response to this card's activation. During the End Phase that this card was activated: Shuffle 1 _X-Saber_ monster you control into the Deck.

 _Sacred Burst_ – Quick-Play Spell (XII)

Banish up to 3 _Sacred_ monsters from your Graveyard, then target an equal number of face-up cards your opponent controls; negate their effects until the end of the turn.


End file.
